Career management involves more than just looking for a job through the usual channels. It also means keeping up with developments in your field as well as with overall professional trends. In order to do that, you need to explore various resources that will keep you abreast of the engineering profession, the ever-widening advances in technology, and the outside influences that impinge on scientific and engineering careers.

The following information, arranged in general categories, offers resources that you can use to plan and/or manage your career:

Career planning

CAREER WEB PAGES FOR ENGINEERS

A rather comprehensive jumping-off point for researching career planning can be found at www.engr.wisc.edu/services/ecs/www.html. This site lists job search aids, including job banks, job openings, classified ads from six major newspapers, professional societies' employment sections, government jobs, and online hiring. In addition the site provides geographic information, relocation information, and other helpful links.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIETIES

Most professional engineering organizations and societies offer career planning resources. Visit www.aiche.org/career, www.aaes.org, www.ieee.org, or http://nspe.org for information about your field.

Salary and compensation

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS' (NSPE) 2000 INCOME AND SALARY SURVEY
The median total annual income for engineers rose 3.7 percent, according to the NSPE's 34th national compensation survey. Income includes salaries, fees, cash bonuses, commissions, and profit received from the respondents' primary jobs during the preceding 12-month period, but specifically excludes overtime pay. The median income for a licensed engineer was $77,392 and $57,000 for an engineer with no professional registration or certification. Salaries are as of January 1, 2000.

San Francisco/Oakland was home to the highest median income by metropolitan areas at $100,948. Nassau/Suffolk Counties, New York, came in second at $94,920. Lowest median income was found in Providence, Rhode Island, at $62,500. The highest median income by major branch of engineering went to those who work in petroleum engineering at $110,000. Mining and nuclear engineering were ranked second and third at $98,471 and $97,110 respectively. By industry, engineers employed by producers of food/beverage/tobacco earned the highest median income at $91,750.

The survey analyzes engineers' salaries by length of experience, level of education, level of professional responsibility, branch of engineering, job function, industry or service of employers, registration status, supervisory/managerial responsibility, region and metropolitan area, and origin. It also examines the effect of downsizing on engineers. To order, go to www.nspe.org and click on "Shop NSPE" or call 800-417-0348.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ENGINEERING SOCIETIES' REPORT ON SALARY TRENDS
The American Association of Engineering Societies maintains reports on salary trends. To read this report, go to www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/9505/Beazley-9505.html

UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS' (BLS) SURVEY FOR ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS
The median annual pay for electrical and electronics engineers was $62,660 in 1998. A 1999 survey reports starting salaries in the field for those with bachelor's degrees was $46,200; for master's degree holders, $57,200; and for Ph.D holders, $70,800. For more information, go to www.ieeeusa.org/jobs.

Education

LEARNON CONTINUING EDUCATION SITE
The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) offers continuing education courses for engineers. The database contains more than 4000 courses. Go to www.Learnon.org for more information. Also, take a look at the society's website at www.asee.org.

ONLINE COURSES TO EARN PH.DS
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has launched an "online university" that offers more than 700 online continuing education courses you can take any time of the day or night.

Through an arrangement with Element K (formerly Ziff-Davis Education Company), the nation's largest online training provider, individuals can take as many courses as they wish over a 12-month period for one low subscription fee. The fee is $145 for ASCE members, $295 for nonmembers. Purchased outside of ASCE, the subscription cost is $700.

Delivered to your desktop through the Internet, the online courses include interactive self-study, tutorials, and instructor-led classes. Subscribers have access to an extensive online library of reference books and can share knowledge through online student "lounges" and live chat rooms.

In addition to the Element K courses, ASCE also offers nine online courses on various technical topics, which were developed through an exclusive alliance with KeepSmart Engineering (formerly Virtual Education Corporation). Taught by nationally recognized experts, the courses cover topics such as NPDES Phase II, wetlands mitigation, stormwater financing, and how to set up a comprehensive stormwater management program. These courses are available for $99 per course for ASCE members, $129 for nonmembers. Discounts are available for the courses when purchased as a full series. All courses offer Professional Development Hours (PDHs).

For more information, go to www.asce.org/olc or call 800-548-2723 or 703-295-6300. Additional information on the KeepSmart Engineering courses available at www.keepsmart.com.

DAYTON AREA GRADUATE STUDIES INSTITUTE (DAGSI)
DAGSI is a unique military/academic coalition formed to create more specialized workers to meet Air Force demands while training more IT specialists to meet the growing needs of technical companies. The program offers more than 30 major research disciplines, from aerodynamics to integrated electronics circuit design. By combining military and university facilities, the program offers access to more than 250 research labs and linkages to the personnel and facilities of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). In fact, DAGSI makes the engineering labs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base available for the first time to nonmilitary students. For more information, call Gretchen Braun Edelman at 212-704-8102.

SCIENCE, MATH, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is urging support of three congressional bills to strengthen K12 science, math, engineering, and technical education: the National Science Education Incentives Act (S.2622), the National Science Education Enhancement Act (S.2623, and the National Science Education Act (S.2624). For additional information, go to ASME's Issues Book at www.asme.org/gric/ibook.html.

Job Aids

UNCOVERING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
InsiderAdvantage.com is a business-to-government online political information service that helps companies do business with state and local governments nationwide. Subscribers will have proprietary online access to information on procurement contracts; in its first week of operations, InsiderAdvantage.com uncovered government contract opportunities worth almost $4 billion. Also available will be information on legislative activities, political campaigns, and government-related issues. For more information, go to www.insideradvantage.com or call 404-724-2507.

MACHINE SHOP ESTIMATING
Micro Estimating Systems, Inc., has launched a web page to support users of Machine Shop Estimating, its engineering-based computer-aided estimating program.

The site contains online tutorials on setup, the latest program updates, a calendar showing dates and locations for monthly training classes around the country, and a user support forum where users can post general questions to which tech support staff and other users can respond. Users can also request a tech support call back. For more information, go to www.microest.com or call 262-860-0560.

MULTIPLE ENGINEERING DATABASES
Engineers can now get instant access to the latest engineering and research developments at their desktops via Engineering Village2^tm, a resource providing single interface access to multiple databases including CompendexWeb^®, full text research articles, patents, standards, products, and handooks. The site includes more than 5 million bibliographic records referencing more than 5000 engineering journals and conferences; access to more than 10,000 website abstracts; industry standards from 300 worldwide organizations such as ASTM, ISO, ANSI, IEEE, and UL; and more than six million patents. In addition, users will have access to more than 12,000 American manufacturers' complete product catalogs. Engineering Information, Inc., best known for creating Compendex^® and CompendexWeb^®, developed Engineering Village2^tm to give engineers a user-friendly research tool that is easily customized to personal research requirements. For more information, call 800-2221-1044, ext 201.

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT BUYERS MARKET
easitek.com allows engineers to search and buy products they have specified online. Design engineers can specify and download products from Texas Instruments, Ametek, Jumo Process Controls, and other manufacturers. This site also encourages design engineers to speak directly with engineering specialists who use these products on a regular basis, receiving immediate answers to frequently asked questions. For more information, go to www.easitek.com or call 714-444-2274.

Books and Manuals

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS ANNOUNCES NEW PUBLICATIONS
How to Produce Effective Operations and Maintenance Manuals by Mike Tidwell is a step-by-step guide to creating accurate, comprehensive, and easy to understand O & M manuals. The author explains the process from defining the audience to producing hard copy or an online manual. ISBN: 0-7844-0011-3, 96 pages, list $15.00.

Remediation in Rock Masses by Hilary I. Inyang and Clifford J. Bruell provides an overview of modeling, site characterization, and remediation techniques, including fundamental principles and practical techniques for characterizing polluted rock masses, estimating contaminant flow rates in rock, and assessing the effectiveness of important cleanup technologies for contaminated rock sites. ISBN: 0-7844-0015-6, 256 pages, list $49.00.

Coupled Processes in Subsurface Deformation, Flow, and Transport by Mao Bai and Derek Elsworth covers fundamental principles and analytical and numerical approaches that may be applied in representing the coupled interaction of deformation, flow, and transport in porous and fractured media. An invaluable reference or textbook for civil, mining, petroleum, environmental, chemical, process, and geological engineers. ISBN: 0-7844-0460-7, 360 pages, list $59.00.

Surety Bonds for Construction Contracts by Jeffrey S. Russell describes and analyzes each element of the surety bonding process in basic terms for contractors, owners, design professionals, construction accountants and attorneys, and other construction industry personnel. Sample bond forms and surety documents as well as an extensive glossary are included. ISBN: 0-7844-0426-7, 416 pages, list $49.00.

For more information, contact Betsy Shepard at [email protected] or call 703-295-6266.

ENGLISH/SPANISH CONSTRUCTION DICTIONARY
International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) has released the Constuctionary(tm)-Construccionario(tm), a pocket-size dictionary of up-to-date construction terms and phrases in both Spanish and English. There are more than 1000 construction terms and useful on-the-job phrases, a tools section, and practical tables (numbers, days of the week, months of the year, and conversion tables). Phonetic pronunciations are provided for both English and Spanish words. The publication has two front covers: one side of the book created for Spanish speakers and the other side for English speakers. A must for firms employing the more than 133,000 Hispanic contractors and workers. ICBO has also translated a number of its codes into Spanish, including the Uniform Building Code(tm) and the International Plumbing Code(tm). For more information or to order, go to www.icbo.org or call 800-284-4406.

RACIAL BARRIERS TO HIGH-TECH CAREERS
Access Denied: Race, Ethnicity, and the Scientific Enterprise focuses on the policies and practices that have excluded nearly one third of the population-Latinos, African Americans, and Native Americans-from the rapidly growing technical workforce. Developed and edited at the National Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) by President and CEO Dr. George Campbell, Jr., Senior VP Ronni Denes, and former Research Director Catherine Morrison, the book examines the influence of state and institutional policies and practices on minority participation in science education from kindergarten to graduate school. The book concludes with a chapter on policy recommendations that urges federally-mandated K12 math and science instruction standards, development of a national financial aid policy for the poorest students, and accountability of the nation's research institutions for educating a population reflective of the American people. For more information, contact B. Dundee Holt at 212-279-2626, ext 214.

FUN APPROACH TO DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS (DOE)
DOE Simplified: Practical Tools for Effective Experimentation by Mark Anderson and Patrick Whitcomb explains in an entertaining way how to apply Design of Experiments (DOE). DOE is a planned approach for determining cause and effect relationships that can be applied to any process with measurable inputs and outputs. It provides a statistical means for analyzing the effects of multiple variables and their interactions. An educational version of Design-Ease^® software comes with the book, allowing readers to work example problems. The price of $39.95 includes the educational software. To order, contact State-Ease, Inc., 800-801-7191, [email protected].

Websites of interest

TRANSPORTATION

For information about enhancing access to light-rail, mag-lev, and cleaner buses, go to;

• http://www.ta.doc.gov/pngv/

EDUCATION

The National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century, chaired by former Senator John Glenn, released its report "Before It's Too Late" at http://www.ed.gov/americacounts/glenn/.

The Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development has released its report "Land of Plenty-Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in Science, Engineering, and Technology" at http://www.nsf.gov/od/cawmset.

PUBLIC POLICY

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is hosting an "Engineers in Public Policy Forum," a series of discussions on key public policy issues including engineering and technology initiatives, pre-college math and science education, the role of government in R&D, and state-federal technology-based economic development. Information is available at http://www.asme.org/gric/.