THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. Only three paths for an Engineer!

In this article, I want to talk about the three main paths of an engineer's development and at the end of this article, I'll tell you which path I consider the best. If you don't want to regret about your past in 10-20-30 years, read this article to the end. My opinion is based on my 17 years of experience working rotations in different countries, from -50 to +50 degrees in forest, sea and desert.

So, the first path I recommend is called scientific. That means after graduating from university, you enroll in a PhD. This doesn't mean you have to teach at the university full-time; I recommend getting a job, and enroll in PhD part-time, which usually takes a bit longer, around 4-5 years.



The advantage of this option is that after 5 years, you'll have a PhD degree and 5 years of work experience. Then I recommend looking for a job in the scientific centers of companies in your industry. All major companies, regardless of the industry, have research centers, these are amazing high-tech centers where scientists and engineers from around the world are gathered. An incredible place to develop as an engineer, to learn and strengthen your technical skills by working on innovative projects.

Working in such centers, you'll always be motivated. You'll just run to work every morning. You're constantly inventing, brainstorming, testing, experimenting, and all the novelty prevents you from burning out, especially if you change such centers instead of staying in one for your whole life.

The second path is vertical growth. That's when over your career, you move from an engineer to a CEO of the company. A good example here is Google CEO Sundar Pichai. In this case, you'll also always be motivated because every few years, you'll move to a higher position, and looking back, you'll be happy with the path you've taken, which will motivate you to move forward. Of course, this doesn't have to be within one company; as your career progresses, you can move from one company to another. Vertical growth also requires developing strong leadership skills and often completing specialized courses that prepare you for managing teams and larger responsibilities.

The third path, followed by most engineers, is what I call a dead-end path, where you spend your entire career, let's say 40 years, jumping from one company to another. Mostly it's horizontal move or minor vertical, where you become a supervisor or line manager, and after a few years, you return to being an engineer, then again, and so on. In terms of your professional development, there are no leaps forward; work becomes routine and boring, which demotivates you, leading to professional burnout.

In my second profession as a career coach, I interact a lot with engineers, and the level of development I see in most engineers is relatively weak. When I ask an engineer with 10 years of experience about their strengths and what they do at work, I often hear answers like filling out Excel Sheets, compiling reports, ordering spare parts, work planning, and other administrative tasks.

Guys, where is engineer? Everything I just listed is secretary work, not engineering. Why did engineers study formulas, do calculations, conduct lab experiments, delve into physics, chemistry, and math, just to spend their whole lives working with Excel, Word and Outlook? And when you do this kind of work every day, any desire to develop disappear. In the end, work becomes torture for the rest of your life.

I think many engineers can relate to these words now, but for those who can't, don't worry, you still have time ahead. Most will realize this after several years. If you disagree with me, write your opinion in the comments...

As promised at the beginning of this article, let me now share the path I consider the best. Of course, it's not for everyone; most people will still follow the third path.

So, the ideal path is a blend of the first path and business. It means you work, get a PhD degree, continue developing in the scientific field, work in a research center, but at the same time invent something, register patents, write books etc. Just one successful patent for some invention can make you a millionaire. And maybe you'll even start a company to develop your own product.

Why do I consider this path is the best? Because it's win-win. Firstly, you'll have a good job, which means stable income, and at least you won't have to worry about supporting your family or paying bills. Secondly, over the time, you'll get a PhD degree, which will strengthen your position as a specialist and allow you to get a higher-paying job, maybe overseas, and build a good capital for your future life. And if you invent something, there's a chance to become a millionaire and create passive income through royalties from patent sales.

Why is this option win-win? So If you never manage to invent anything in your life, it's okay; you still have a good job, you're a valuable and successful engineer, a doctor of science. And if you couldn't even get a PhD degree, that's okay too; you can at least count on a good, high-paying job. And by investing your earnings wisely, you'll still build a good capital and ensure a secure future for yourself and your family. That's it for now, bye-bye.