Many engineers feel stuck early in their careers. The pay isn’t what they expected. The work isn’t challenging. Recognition feels slow. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down the uncomfortable truth most people avoid: you’re not where you want to be because you don’t have the skills to get there yet. Not theory. Practical, tactical advice for engineers who want to take ownership of their growth, develop the right skills, and stop giving their power away to excuses, blame cycles, or vague goals.

Key Topics Covered
• Why feeling “stuck” in your career is often a skill problem, not a system problem
• The blame cycle that keeps engineers frustrated and powerless
• Why early-career engineers expect challenging work before earning it
• How technical skills alone rarely create visibility, promotions, or influence
• The overlooked career skills most engineers never intentionally develop
• Why feedback is the fastest way to uncover blind spots holding you back
• How successful professionals identify the exact skills required to level up
• The difference between emotional thinking and objective self-evaluation
• Why most people defend their excuses instead of solving the real problem

Actionable Steps
• Identify the exact outcome you want in your career and define it clearly
• Ask yourself objectively what skills are required to achieve that outcome
• Seek feedback from managers, peers, or mentors to identify blind spots
• Ask people ahead of you in your field what skills actually matter
• Remove vague language like “I can’t” or “they won’t let me” from your thinking
• Focus on becoming excellent at solving harder and more valuable problems
• Build communication and self-advocacy skills alongside technical ability
• Regularly evaluate whether your daily work is building the right skills
• Treat skill development as your primary responsibility early in your career

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers early in their career who feel stuck or overlooked
• High performers who want faster career growth and bigger opportunities
• Engineers frustrated by lack of recognition or advancement
• Professionals who want to take ownership of their career trajectory
• Anyone ready to replace excuses with execution

Why It Matters
Careers accelerate when engineers stop waiting for opportunity and start building the skills that create it. The engineers who rise fastest are the ones who evaluate themselves honestly, identify the skills they lack, and relentlessly close those gaps. Ownership of your growth is what turns potential into impact.

Where to Listen
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

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Five generations are working side by side right now. Different values. Different expectations. Different definitions of loyalty, purpose, and leadership. If you cannot navigate that reality, your career will stall. In this episode, we sit down with Geoff Preece, leadership facilitator and executive coach with a background in the Marine Corps, law enforcement, logistics leadership, and defensive tactics instruction. This is not theory. This is practical, tactical advice on how engineers win influence across generational lines.

Key Topics Covered:
• Why technical skill is only a checkbox and influence is the real differentiator
• The entitlement trap that quietly derails young engineers
• Loyalty versus purpose and how generational values are shifting
• The difference between hard skills and soft skills in hiring and promotion
• Emotional intelligence broken down into self awareness, self management, and relationship management
• Why you are not paid to be right but to solve the problem
• The 1-3-1 framework for bringing solutions instead of complaints
• How to build influence without manipulation
• Why hiring managers prioritize coachability over credentials
• The mistake of chasing being liked instead of being respected

Actionable Steps:
• Define the real problem before reacting. Ask why five times
• Bring three solutions before escalating anything upward
• Pick one solution and execute instead of waiting for permission
• Track relationships intentionally. Know what matters to the people around you
• Read Never Split the Difference and apply tactical empathy immediately
• Ask in interviews, If I could solve one problem for this team, what would it be
• Follow up interviews with three ways you would solve that problem
• Stop leading with your resume. Lead with value
• Count to three and initiate the hard conversation
• Invest in yourself first. You cannot be impactful to others if you are not disciplined personally

Who This Episode Is For:
• Early career engineers struggling to gain traction
• High performers frustrated by cross functional friction
• Engineers who want to move into leadership without losing technical edge
• Overlooked ICs who know they can do more
• Anyone navigating generational tension at work

Why It Matters:
Technical expertise might get you hired. It will not guarantee influence. In a five generation workforce, the engineer who can listen, adapt, communicate, and coach will outperform the one who simply wants to be right. Influence drives visibility. Visibility drives opportunity. Opportunity drives career growth.

Where to Listen:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

What do you do when you’re the only engineer in the company? No senior mentor. No technical lead. No one reviewing your designs. Most engineers see that as a disadvantage. We see it as leverage. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how being the only engineer can fast-track your growth if you approach it correctly. Not theory. Practical, tactical advice you can use immediately.

Key Topics Covered:
• Why being the only engineer is a strategic advantage, not a career setback
• How ownership is handed to you by default when no one else can take it
• The power of relentless curiosity in accelerating technical growth
• Using AI, forums, and online resources as your modern mentorship layer
• Why technical knowledge is becoming commoditized and what actually differentiates you
• How to leverage machinists, electricians, fabricators, and technicians as real-world teachers
• Turning mistakes into fast feedback loops instead of confidence killers
• Becoming the translator between the shop floor and leadership
• How small companies create disproportionate learning velocity

Actionable Steps:
• Invest in yourself through paid groups, communities, or industry forums
• Build a personal knowledge stack using podcasts, books, and technical resources
• Use AI tools to pressure-test designs and create rapid test plans
• Ask better questions daily. Write them down and pursue answers relentlessly
• Spend time on the floor with the people building and installing your work
• Document experiments and lessons learned to create your own internal playbook
• Volunteer for cross-functional exposure outside pure engineering
• Treat every mistake as data, not identity
• Track measurable impact so you can quantify your ownership on your resume

Who This Episode Is For:
• Early-career engineers who feel unsupported or isolated
• Engineers at startups or small companies with no senior technical guidance
• High performers who want faster growth instead of comfort
• Individual contributors who want to build real leadership leverage
• Anyone stuck waiting for someone else to “teach” them

Why It Matters:
Isolation either slows you down or sharpens you. If you wait for direction, you stall. If you lean into ownership, curiosity, and execution, you accelerate. The engineers who learn to operate without constant supervision build resilience, visibility, and leverage that compounds for years.

Where to Listen:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.