In today’s increasingly mobile society, even the job search can be accomplished simply using your smartphone, a few apps, and maybe a mobile web browser. This added convenience helps when you discover a potentially perfect engineering position on the go and you don’t have access to your desktop computer. A few finger presses and swipes and your résumé gets sent on its way — even with a cover letter!

Let’s take a closer look at smartphone résumé authoring and the mobile job process.

The Engineering Job Search at the Speed of Light

With a specialized discipline like engineering, HR personnel are beginning to see the advantages derived from the mobile job search. Weaning through potentially hundreds of paper résumés sent through the regular mail is a time-consuming process that siphons off productivity. So the job seeker isn’t the only one benefitting from the mobile résumé.

LinkedIn, Craigslist, and other online job forums also offer a means for HR and job hunters to virtually interact. Email, instant messaging, and even video chat services, like Skype all play their own role in fostering communication related to the job hunt.

A Wide Array of Résumé Building Apps for iOS and Android

A simple search reveals a wide variety of résumé authoring apps for both the iOS and Android platforms; LinkedIn even has their own app that easily connects with the service. Tablets also hold a usability advantage over the smartphone when it comes to any form of word processing or typography. Tablet users can leverage mobile versions of office software suites to put together a résumé, or even edit one created on the desktop.

Additionally, many apps connect to online services specifically formed to assist job seekers in résumé creation as well as helping to manage the job search. Zerply and ResumeBaking are two examples. With the growing popularity of these digital means for the mobile job hunter, the days of the paper résumé may be on their way out.

If you need any assistance in your engineering job search — mobile or otherwise — talk to the experts at The Talley Group. As one of the top engineering staffing agencies in the Seattle area, they have the knowledge — and the engineering job opportunities in Seattle — to ensure your success. Schedule some time with them today!

The annual review is a chance for all engineers to take stock of their performance in the previous year; set some goals for the following 12 months, and making some longer-term plans for professional, and potentially educational, growth. Those who simply look at the review as a chance to get a raise aren’t taking full advantage of everything an annual performance review brings to the career development equation.

Let’s take a look at some ways for you (and your career) to make the most out of your annual performance review.

Don’t Prepare for your Review at the Last Minute

Rushing at the last minute to put together some notes for your performance review is not a good idea. Make it a point to keep a project diary throughout the year detailing the challenges you faced, any innovative solutions, and your quantifiable successes. Having this at the ready should make the review a simpler and more effective process.

In short, treat your review materials as a recurring documentation project. Few engineers like to do documentation, but get over any prejudices. Spending the time now will help your career in the long run.

Set Realistic Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

Performance review time is perfect for managing short-term and long-term goals. This involves looking at last year’s goals to see if they were met, as well as spending the effort developing a new set of clearly-stated goals for the upcoming 12 months. Yearly goals should reflect tangible accomplishments that provide positive impact to your company’s bottom line.

Take the time to analyze your progress towards longer-term career goals. In fact, the scope for your long-term career hopes may go beyond your current employer. Any time spent on career reflection is worthy.

Ultimately, be positive during the review and thank your manager for the opportunity to help the company grow.

If you need any additional advice on career development in the world of engineering, talk to the experts at The Talley Group. As they are one of the leading engineering staffing agencies in the Seattle area, they have the talent to ensure your career stays on the right path. Schedule some time with them today! If you are looking for engineering jobs in Washington, contact us today.

There remains little doubt that as our society grows more dependent on technology, developing a new generation of engineers is paramount to ensuring the speed of technical growth continues to advance. But what are the best methods to inspire young, fledgling engineers — be they boys or girls. What follows is a collection of gifts sure to make understanding complex concepts fun and quite possibly inspire children into considering an education and career in engineering.

Engineering Books Aimed at Young Readers and More

There are a host of excellent books that do a great job of explaining technology for the budding engineer. Some even are an enjoyable read for those currently in the industry or anyone with an interest in science. One such book is 1001 Inventions That Changed the World, an absorbing tome chronicling inventions that held, or continue to hold, a profound influence on daily life in the worlds of medicine, transportation, electronics and more. In addition to providing inspiration for a young engineer, it also serves nicely as a reference volume for the entire family.

This world needs more women engineers. A book aimed at girls in grades fifth through eighth, Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women, offers a glimpse at a range of innovations developed by women. The book covers a variety of subjects, from the mother of The Monkees’, Mike Nesmith, inventing White-Out to a female engineer working for NASA, who created the “Space Bumper.” This is a title sure to invoke the possibilities for future female scientists.

Toys for the Engineers of the Future

How many current engineers received a LEGO set when they were younger? Is there a better toy to help youngsters discover the joy of devising and building their own contraptions? LEGO’s Builders of Tomorrow set features 650 colorful LEGO bricks that can used to construct nearly anything. It is aimed at children aged 4-10, a perfect age for inspiring a future engineer.

A book series with a small construction set aimed at young girls is GoldieBlox, developed by Debbie Sterling, a Stanford engineering graduate looking to foster the growth of more female engineers. A successful kickstarter funding campaign means GoldieBlox should be hitting the toy stores around the United States very shortly.

Inspiring the next generation of engineers is important, as is inspiring today’s current generation. Helping you find the best in engineering jobs, the Talley Group is known as one of the top engineering recruiters in the Seattle area. Schedule some time to talk with them today.