When my old college roommate was doing co-op work, he found a dog-eared photocopy of material titled The Engineer’s Handbook. He told me he wished he had them before he started learning some hard lessons in the corporate world. I read through it, and while text was dated, thought the ideas were valid. I found various incarnations of this text – all with a specific bent toward their branch of engineering. Over the years I have found myself grateful to have had the insight gained from those notes.

This is a collection of ideas and advice I wish had existed when I started my career. I have taken some ideas from other texts, and added a new perspective for the modern business climate. Moreover, while my career has progressed from individual contributor, to manager, to executive, I am constantly reminded of the significant hurdles a new professional has to clear when embarking on their career path. Time and again, the same mistakes are repeated – so it is with great hope you may find these ideas helpful.

You will find a number of these things as “common sense” rules of the road. It seems odd to take the time to put them together, but all to often we find that common sense is uncommon. Allow these notes to serve as a gentle reminder of the expectations your colleagues, boss, company and clients have of you as a professional.

When all is said and done:

• You treat others fairly and ethically
• Your service to your collegues, supervisors, company and clients is something you are proud of
• While you are always learning and growing, you are always a professional