I started as a chemical engineer making Teflon but over time moved on into various business and management roles. As you reflect on your path, I suggest you consider three items:
1) What are you good at (and push yourself as to understanding your secret sauce)
2) What do you like and enjoy doing at work?
3) What is important to you around a job—this can be things like money, workload expectation, location, travel expectations, etc.
This may give you something to help think through your goals. Many technical people want to move to more management roles but typically the best technical people are not the best manager and may or may not enjoy it.
I have reflected on them actually. I think my secret sauce is actually communication across functions (just realizing this now maybe). Still thinking about #2 and I think #3 for me changes around quite a bit. Right now I think money is definitely important, minimal travel, and eventually location/remote option will be important to me I think later on, but maybe not.
After having been remote for quite a few months and not really being in a lab has got me thinking more broadly that's for sure.
I started as a chemical engineer making Teflon but over time moved on into various business and management roles. As you reflect on your path, I suggest you consider three items:
1) What are you good at (and push yourself as to understanding your secret sauce)
2) What do you like and enjoy doing at work?
3) What is important to you around a job—this can be things like money, workload expectation, location, travel expectations, etc.
This may give you something to help think through your goals. Many technical people want to move to more management roles but typically the best technical people are not the best manager and may or may not enjoy it.
Good luck and I enjoy your blog
Thank you for the contribution Steve!
I have reflected on them actually. I think my secret sauce is actually communication across functions (just realizing this now maybe). Still thinking about #2 and I think #3 for me changes around quite a bit. Right now I think money is definitely important, minimal travel, and eventually location/remote option will be important to me I think later on, but maybe not.
After having been remote for quite a few months and not really being in a lab has got me thinking more broadly that's for sure.
Good luck with this and let me know if I can help you in any way.