Keys to Personal and Professional Success

Your education is yours. Own it!
Take control and responsibility for your own education. Make sure you organize your time and keep track of what you need to accomplish, and take responsibility for being aware of academic deadlines and expectations.

Build your Skills
Success requires much more than just the technical content you learn in engineering classes. Develop and practice your communication skills, your social awareness, and your leadership potential.

Apply your Skills
Figure out what you are passionate about and get involved. There are huge numbers of opportunities outside the classroom to apply your skills.

• Attend talks, events, information sessions.
• Network and build connections.
• Build work experience: Attend career fairs, apply for co-ops and internships
• Study abroad: Expand your horizons and exposure to have a global perspective.
• Get involved with student organizations.
• Consider academic enhancements like minors, certificates, undergraduate research.

Professional Communication Tips
Check your email and Canvas pages regularly. Official communication from the college and university will always come to your email address, and important information about your classes comes via Canvas.

Follow professional email etiquette

• Use a short but informative subject line
• Start your email with a professional salutation such as “Dear Dr. Johnson,”
• Use paragraphs, full sentences, correct capitalization, and correct grammar and punctuation.
• Focus on the three C’s: clear, complete, concise
  • Clear: Explain clearly and professionally what you are asking.
  • Complete: Include the needed background information and context.
  • Concise: Don’t include additional irrelevant information or complex explanations that are more than necessary.
• Sign your email professionally using your full name

Ask for help
Engineering is a team sport. We each contribute different skills and knowledge, and we all need each other to accomplish our goals. The purpose of the College of Engineering Student Success Center is to provide you the resources and tools to enable you to be successful in your engineering career. Let us! All you need to do is ask.