The engineering world typically produces accomplishments that benefit many. The scope of this rewarding work ranges from improving the bottom lines of many engineering companies, to making life better for the human race as a whole. The year of 2013 was no exception, as the feats of talented engineers once again earned accolades.

Here is a list of some of the top engineering achievements of 2013. Maybe they will inspire or at least amaze you?

A State of the Art Helicopter — Powered by Humans

Fred Flintstone enjoyed a human powered “automobile” when traveling around his prehistoric world, but the stuff of Hanna-Barbara cartoons actually became reality in 2013. A Canadian team won the Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition last year with a design capable of sustained flight for over one minute.

The copter only reached a height of 10 feet, so don’t expect it to serve traffic reporting needs anytime soon, but it was the first design to actually win the award in the competition’s 33-year history. Impressive!

Thought-controlled Medical Devices make Headway

Brain-computer interfaces saw much advancement in 2013, bringing “The Six Million Dollar Man” closer to reality. A thought-controlled wheelchair gives mobility to quadriplegics like never before; while moveable prosthetic limbs improve the quality of life for amputees. Expect continued advancements in this area of medical technology by the end of the decade.

Driverless Cars on the Highway

Google has been in the news for their own driverless car project — not bad for a company that derives most of its revenue from a web search engine. An actual automobile manufacturer, Volvo, is also developing a robotic car with a stated goal to completely eliminate driver fatalities. Volvo’s “Drive Me” project expects to bring 100 driverless 2014 Volvo XC90s to the roads of Sweden by 2017.

There remains little doubt that the practice of engineering gives the opportunity to change the world for the better in many different ways. If you want to be part of this exciting time, talk to the folks at The Talley Group. As one of the top engineering staffing agencies in the Seattle area, they offer the insight to take your career to the ultimate level; helping you make a difference. Schedule time with them today and find about some great Seattle engineering jobs!

If you are looking for the best engineering jobs in Seattle — including those in the petroleum industry — it helps to have your own personal marketing plan. Remember that impeccable skills and experience simply aren’t enough to ensure a successful job search. Promoting yourself is an essential part of getting that first interview; hopefully followed by a job offer.

Let’s take a closer look at what steps to take to best market yourself for petroleum engineering jobs in Seattle and the surrounding metropolitan area.

An Excellent Résumé is a Must

Make the effort to update your résumé, focusing on your tangible achievements. Hiring managers want to see how you will benefit their company as an employee, and they pay close attention to anything in your work history that details any positive impact you’ve made for previous employers.

Don’t forget about marketing yourself Online!

After putting together an excellent résumé, you need to create a digital version of it accessible to hiring managers in your local area. An account on LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, is a must. Treat your LinkedIn profile as essentially an online version of your résumé; be sure to keep it up to date with your latest experience and on-the-job accomplishments.

LinkedIn is a perfect spot to network with petroleum engineering professionals in the Seattle area. Be sure to join any LinkedIn group related to your field, as this is another way to interact with those in the industry. Even consider writing an article or two about petroleum engineering to publish on the site — this is a great way to position yourself as a thought leader in this engineering discipline, and will get you noticed.

Partner with a Leading Staffing Agency

Working with a great staffing agency that specializes in engineering jobs is a smart move. They can help you with authoring your résumé while ensuring your social networking presence enhances any potential job candidacy.

The Talley Group makes a great choice as a partner when looking for petroleum engineering jobs in Seattle. One of the leading engineering staffing agencies in Washington State, their knowledgeable recruiters can ensure your job search is a successful one. Make it a point to schedule some time with them today!

If you think your development as an engineer stops the day you graduate from college, you are sadly mistaken. The best engineers consistently take steps to improve themselves, knowing that this is an effort that ultimately benefits both their current employer as well as their career. Technical professionals must never stagnate.

Let’s take a look at five secrets to improve yourself as an engineer.

Understand the Business of your Current Employer

Remember that technology generally exists to serve the business needs of a corporation — not the other way around. Make it point to learn and understand everything about your company’s work — competition, supply chain, future prospects for growth, etc. Consider going back to school for your MBA, as when paired with an engineering degree, the combination serves your career nicely.

Don’t Let Technology leave you in the Dust

While it is vital to spend time learning the business environment of your company, it remains equally important to stay up to date on technology. Consider subscribing to magazines and journals related to your engineering discipline. Joining a professional association is a great way to network and stay current on tech.

Self-Criticism is Valuable for your Growth

Take the time to set professional career goals and perform the self-analysis necessary to either achieve those goals or set different ones. Being honest with yourself and your technical skill set is a great way to keep developing as a professional.

Take on Challenging Work Assignments

A difficult project at work is a great way to sharpen your technical skills, and possibly your business acumen as well. Be sure to consistently challenge yourself, and you may find that your career is growing by leaps and bounds.

Every Day is a Day for Learning

The bottom line is that the learning never stops for an engineer. Maintain the curiosity that prompted you to enter the engineering field in the first place. Consider getting an advanced degree in engineering in addition to that MBA.

If you need any additional career development advice, talk to the experts at The Talley Group. As one of the top engineering staffing companies in the Seattle area, they are a great source of Seattle engineering jobs in addition to engineering career advice. Schedule some time with them today!

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 emerging science of nanotechnology plays an important part in how engineering continues to change the world in which we live. These recent tends in nanotech are areas any practicing or fledgling engineer needs to pay attention to over the next few years. Expect nanotechnology to become a vital aspect in everyone’s daily life by the end of this decade.

Stronger Materials and Composites

Carbon nanotube-based technology allows the construction of stronger materials used in a variety of vehicles, including cars and bicycles, as well as in sporting equipment. Expect nanotechnology to improve your tennis racquet or golf clubs, in addition to the vehicle you use to get to the country club!

Improving Scalability of Nanotech Production

One thing holding back the growth in nanotechnology is the difficulty producing materials and products with nanotech at a reasonable cost. Advancements in the manufacturing process are expected to improve the scalability of nanotech production and therefore lower its overall price. If this process continues to drag out, the adaptation of nanotechnology will remain relatively slow.

Commercialization of Carbon Nanotube Technology

The continued commercialization of carbon nanotube technology makes it more likely that its manufacturing scale issues will get solved. “Advances will make the use of carbon nanotube materials even more compelling for mechanical engineers,” says David J. Arthur, CEO, SouthWest NanoTechnologies, a producer of carbon nanotubes. In addition to the advancements in vehicle and sporting goods technology, nanotubes will play a vital role in the areas of flat-screen displays and personal armor.

Nanotech Improving Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

Advancements in nanotechnology are playing a role in the development of energy efficient products that focus on improved sustainability. The previously mentioned vehicle technology innovations also are expected to lead to better fuel efficiency in addition to other enhancements, like more cost-effective construction.

Nanomedicine to Enhance the Quality of Life

The world of biomedicine is reaping the benefits of nanotechnology, for example the development of a therapy combining lasers and gold nanoshells to destroy cancer cells. Other innovations include nanosensors that improve the efficacy of hospital diagnostic equipment.

If you are inspired by the growing role played by nanotechnology in the practice of engineering, talk to the people at The Talley Group. Since they are one of the leading engineering staffing companies in the Seattle area, they can help steer your career towards working in the world of nanotech.

Studies show that men hold 75 percent of all science and engineering jobs. Additionally, those men make on average 14 cents more per hour than their female counterparts. In the United States, this gender gap also applies to science in the schools; a 2009 science exam given to 15-years old showed females outperforming males in many countries with the notable exception of the U.S.

It is obvious a gender imbalance in the world of engineering exists, but thankfully some companies are taking innovative steps to mitigate the issue. Extra steps must be taken to attract females to work in a largely male-dominated profession.

Etsy’s Unique Problem with Gender Imbalance

The online arts and crafts marketplace, Etsy, saw a unique problem with gender imbalance. Nearly 80 percent of its customers were female, while 87 percent of their engineering staff was of the opposite sex. The company wanted to fix this issue, but how?

First off, instead of recruiting high-end female engineering talent to the company, they began a program to develop their own junior engineers into superior engineers. One artifact of this effort is that they started to get calls from more experienced engineers — female and male — wanting to work for Etsy.

The company also co-sponsored a Hacker School session for women held at Etsy’s office. This high-end coding class also helped to raise awareness that Etsy wanted a more gender-balanced engineering staff, and was willing to put their money behind the issue.

Their Efforts saw a Tangible Return

In the two years since Etsy began their program Etsy went from 13 percent female engineers to a ratio a little over 18 percent, an improvement of around five percent. While women are still in the minority, the company showed a 500 percent increase in the actual number of female engineers. This has earned Etsy accolades throughout the industry, leading to more female senior hires at the company.

If you are a female engineer looking to raise the level of your career, consider talking to the crew at The Talley Group. As one of the leading engineering staffing companies in the Northwest United States, and a Certified Woman Owned Business, they are the ones who can help you overcome any engineering gender imbalance.

Engineers who are always on the run — whether at a client site or traveling on the road — now have a great option for managing CAD drawings on their iPhone or iPad. The TurboViewer X app provides engineers with the ability to view DWG files from an iOS powered mobile device, and it comes at a nice price as well.

TurboViewer X for the iPhone and iPad Features

• Fast Viewing of 2D and 3D Drawings
• Support for DWG and DXF Files
• Multi-touch Navigation, Pan, and Zoom
• Wireframe and Isometric Viewing
• Support for Native and Custom SHX Fonts
• True Type Font Support
• Layer Manager and Layout Support
• Localization Features 14 Different Languages
• Normally Priced for $6.99 at the App Store

AutoCAD files look great within the app, especially on the larger screen real estate of the iPad. TurboViewer X is a universal iOS app, so both iPhone and iPad native versions are included in the download file. In addition to the paid version, a free edition of the app is also available which is great for trying out its functionality.

An AutoCAD Viewer for iOS

In addition to its leveraging of the iOS multi-touch interface features for panning and zooming drawings in 2D and 3D, TurboViewer X also takes advantage of Apple’s iCloud web storage facility for the sharing of files. Dropbox, FTP, and other Cloud-based storage options are also supported.

The developer also provides an online forum for support and sharing tricks of the trade, which is sure to be a boon when trying to figure out an issue when at a client site. The app also includes access to an online wiki help system. Any engineer who regularly uses AutoCAD needs to check out TurboViewer X.

If an app like TurboViewer X sounds like a perfect enhancement to your engineering work, talk to the recruiters at The Talley Group to enhance your career. As one of the leading engineering staffing companies in the Seattle area, they have the staff on hand to help you become the best engineer possible.