Advice for Engineering Students: Be your own biggest cheerleader

There are few more rewarding feelings at work than knowing you’ve put in a good shift. It’s even better to have that effort and achievement recognised by others – the colleagues who’ve seen you put the work in, or the manager whose life has been made easier. 

According to Harvard Business Review, employees with managers who recognise their work are more than 40 per cent more engaged those whose managers did not. 

So, how does your employer or college celebrate success – if they do at all? How does your line manager congratulate you and your team on a job well done? Good employers recognise the importance of praising their employees when a big project is completed, or if it’s made a positive impact in the wider world. 

But, of course, the little things count too. When a worker knows their hard work is being acknowledged, it keeps them engaged and confident of consistent performance. 

Encouraging the everyday 

In my experience, the little things matter just as much as the largest. I’ve got a lot of time for the people who show up every day and get stuck in without complaint, showing their enthusiasm by putting their hand up for new tasks and not being afraid to ask questions.  

Even if you’re not in a place where you can own a project, you can still make an impact on your own terms and impress leaders. It may not be business-critical but these little things can help you and your colleagues do the best work they can, efficiently and effectively. 

It's important to note, though, that acknowledgment of your hard work doesn’t necessarily have to come directly from a manager either. Here are just a few ways that you can celebrate the success of yourself and others:  

• Self-recognition. Set some time aside during the week, or between large projects, for your own reflection on a job well done. Putting a bit of a mental break in between each project means they don’t start bleeding together, so you can be more mindful of the impact of the contribution you made on a job before the next one starts. 

• Peer-to-peer feedback has also been shown to be valuable. When your colleague does great work on a presentation, helps you solve a problem, or even if they make a mean cuppa, having a platform in place to shout out their achievements can be hugely beneficial to the workplace culture. 

• Social media posts are a way to celebrate success outside the four walls of the workplace. Furthermore, it shows clients and customers that your company appreciates the hard work of employees – and it looks good on your LinkedIn profile. 

• Industry awards. Go above and beyond in recognition of someone you work with, or your company, and nominate them for an industry-wide award. They’re usually open to nominations from anyone, for anyone – you could even nominate yourself!  

At Enginuity, we’re gearing up for awards season with our annual Skills Awards. Each year these awards recognise the individuals and companies that are making the most of the opportunities available for upskilling the workforce in engineering and manufacturing.

Ann Watson, CEO of Enginuity. 

The Student Engineer is a special channel of The Engineer aimed at educating and inspiring engineering undergraduates about the career opportunities in engineering and also offering practical advice on how they can access these opportunities. 

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