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How do you know where you're meant to be if you have a lot of different skills and interests?

Rachel image

Rachel

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How do you know where you're meant to be if you have a lot of different skills and interests?

This is a long one.

I started my career in Design Engineering. I loved it. I enjoyed creating something from nothing, testing it to make sure it would work, moving it to prototype stage and then designing work instructions for it for the manufacturing floor and then see it run through to the customer.

I got my Masters in Manufacturing Engineering because at the job I was at, Design and Manufacturing Engineering were one in the same.

Around year 7 at my company, they asked if I'd be interested in moving to Quality Management and I said yes. I enjoyed some aspects of that as well and started understanding the data side of things and data mining.

I then switched careers because I had hit a wall at the company I was at for 9 years. Since then, I haven't been able to narrow down what I want.

I moved to Manufacturing Engineering at a large corporation and management was horrible and I got bored so I left.

I moved to Continuous Improvement Engineering at another company and it was ok. There were aspects I wasn't a fan of but I continued on the data analysis trend there and enjoyed that. But, I was called up to be a Manufacturing/Plant Manager for a start up and I leaped at the chance to create something from nothing again.

I did everything there except design the product. I updated CAD drawings to make them pass FAI on the floor. I created the flow of the plant, I did work instructions, I ran operations and quality. I did it all. I enjoyed it. But the company then closed its doors after a little over 2years. So, I'm stuck on where I should be applying. I've applied to Quality Manager roles, Operations Manager roles, Engineering Manager roles and then back to Manufacturing Engineering roles. I don't know where I should be going. And honestly, the Engineering Manager role is where I always saw myself before Operations Management took the reign.

What would you do if you were in my position? I've read the book, Never Search Alone and I have my 2-pager sort of put together. But, I'm hoping for some insight from any others with similar "issues" as myself.

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  1. Jackie Ruka

    Envision what you want to be doing, ultimately! See yourself doing that. What feels good and right for you right now? This is an inside journey. What truly lights you up?

  2. Barb Hansen

    I’ve been in a similar situation midway through my career, having held many different titles and worn many hats—especially in startups, where you often end up juggling multiple roles.

    When I started looking for new opportunities, I found myself using my past roles as a guide for the future. But as I reflected, I realized that just because I could do certain roles again didn’t necessarily mean I wanted to. So, I did some soul-searching and asked myself:

    1- Where do I actually want to be?

    2- What’s the through-line—the common thread—across all my past roles that aligns with where I want to go?

    3- Which tasks did I truly enjoy? And was that enjoyment tied to the role itself or the people I worked with?

    3.a- Is any company hiring that role right now?

    Shifting my focus to what I wanted to do, rather than just what I had done or was capable of, helped me narrow down the roles that actually excited me.

    That said, I also recognize that sometimes we just need a job. When that was the case, I tailored my resume for roles I had done before to secure income—there’s no harm in taking a role that pays the bills while keeping an eye on the bigger picture.

    Hope this helps!

  3. Anonymous

    I would first gain clarity or as close to clarity as you can get. Take personality tests and find out your natural talents and where they cross your experience and job descriptions. You clearly will gravitate towards certain areas of interest and using talents and natural skills. If you look back on your most fulfilled roles you will see a pattern and that will help you lock into a path of roles for a career. It's worth your time and effort to do a deep dive. We as humans are usually most happy when we connect our natural talents and inclinations with a purpose. We thrive at expressing our natural talents.

  4. Rachel

    Such good advice. Thank you!

  5. Anonymous

    You have a myriad of engineering skills. Figure out what type of role you want, then update your resume to reflect those skills, then highlight them on your resume so they align with the job you seek. I've worked many roles within many industries, but I highlight those that I am not only good at but that I enjoy. For example, if I were to apply to a position that manages contracts, and I currently only do some of that, I would highlight my resume showing more detail of that level of work. Hope that made sense. You took a chance, leveled up your resume to a new skill so good for you!

  6. Rachel

    Thanks to all who commented. Such great advice

  7. GirlBossanova934974

    As someone who has an MS in Industrial Engineering and an MBA in Stats/Accounting, I would say you should be spending your time applying for Engineering Management positions. Those companies are going to want someone with a WELL ROUNDED resume and skillsets. And they will list those requirements in their job spec. Your combined list of skillsets are hard to find these days. Too many people managers are out there trying to wing it in technical jobs and it shows......In a few short years, you should be running a manufacturing division or a plant manager.

  8. Rachel

    I guess my concern with Engineering Management is because I haven't focused directly in say R&D, then why would they hire someone to manage engineers who do R&D? Then, I started going down the rabbit hole of do I need to go back to Engineering for a few years more and then I decided to post this. :-)

  9. GirlBossanova934974

    You have been a plant manager for some time. I would go back to it. Someplace where you are dealing with complex fabricated products. Some place, where they are innovating and pushing out new designs and new ideas. I am thinking AEROSPACE..

  10. Anonymous

    I know this doesn't sound intuitive, but consider your local electric companies. Your varied background would likely be a good fit and they are always looking for engineers with management background. Pay may not be where you want it, but you'd be unlikely to get bored.

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