Feedback from the
1999 ProDevCon

"My employer was so impressed with the copy of the Proceedings I showed him, he'd like to purchase a copy for our group."  Wanda Solano

"I came away with at least one good idea out of every session." Ed Safford

"Networking opportun- ities abounded through- out the conference." Michael Siok

"I have more confidence to start a letter or report after attending this class." Emily Truc Dang

"The conference has given me a new perspective on how I view myself and how I can improve, as well as lessons on how to deal with others more effectively.  The conference also enhanced my appreciation of the training and work environment provided by my employer." Alan Fletcher

"My participation [in the conference] will enhance both my volunteer activity with IEEE and also my effectiveness as a professional engineer." Dale Rummer

"I did some career planning [in the past]. However, I missed the boat. I totally left out my personal goals. My wife and I have begun making a list of things we think are important for our family. I will use this list, along with my career goals, to create a mission statement and hopefully [to develop] a more balanced life." Randy Nunez

"Most of the value came from the information I gained from the classes; the remaining value came from the time spent speaking with other engineers about these and other topics." Jason Torrey (GOLD)

"Overall, I found the conference to be exciting and helpful to me, for my practices in the workplace. I made some contacts and friends. Some of the other Region 1 GOLD members and I are going to set up a meeting protocol for ourselves so we can meet monthly via Internet and teleconferencing."   Constantine Taki Markos (GOLD)

"I walked away from the conference with a heightened perspective on the importance of 'soft skills.' The speakers convinced me that, when the soft skills are mastered, the technical skills will follow through very naturally, and the ability to communicate effectively with people will allow those technical skills to be utilized to their maximum value." Chris Macchietto (GOLD)

"I learned that inter- personal skills are necessary throughout your engineering career, whether you are on a management track headed for promotion and leadership or stay involved as an individual contributor. I had been thinking, wrongly, that individual contributors do not need to use and improve interpersonal skills to the extent that managers do." Tom Krauss (GOLD)

"This conference made me serious about my career development. It made me aware that I should take control of my career. It inspired me to grow at a faster rate in my job environ- ment. Meeting people from different walks of life broadened my vision and increased my awareness about industry. I would recommend that every young engineer attend this kind of conference."  Shrikant Mulik (GOLD), IEEE Bombay, India, Section

"As a retired military member, I've had an extensive amount of similar training. This weekend was a wonderful reminder to me about the things I need to do to stay competitive. For those without prior training, this was the perfect introduction to professional development and should be encouraged." Steve Lindemann (GOLD)

[ More ]

The conference offers an opportunity to explore a wide range of professional and career issues of interest to industry and engineering professionals. Presentations will include, but not be limited to, the following general topic areas:

• Career Planning * Developing and maintaining a competitive career * Career preservation * 360-degree performance evaluation and career analysis * When and how to bail out *

• Professional Skills Management * Interpersonal skills * Time management * Personal marketing * Communication skills * Language skills * Building personal quality with TQM * How to conduct performance evaluations * Building and maintaining influence in a casual world * Personal etiquette * Negotiating *

• Professional Networking

• Personal Microeconomic Management Systems * Financial planning * Retirement planning * Medical planning *

• Entrepreneurial Skills

• Influencing and Interacting with Customers * Do’s and don’ts of customer social interaction * Making the deal * How to sell ideas *

• Mentorship * Finding a mentor * Being a mentor *

• Applied Strategic Planning (for IEEE or the workplace) * Career forecasting * Quality positioning (Baldrige/ISO/SEI) *

• Organizational Ethics and Diversity

• Influencing Public Policy * Community action * Government education * Public awareness *

Sessions

The conference program will include tutorials, plenary sessions with keynote speakers, concurrent workshops, and posterboard sessions. Most sessions are 60 minutes long. Some of the workshop and plenary topics will be targeted to engineers with ten years or less of professional experience; papers written specifically for this audience are welcomed.

Registrants may earn continuing education units (CEUs) from the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) for conference participation.

Other Activities

The Marriott Camelback Inn Resort and Spa epitomizes Southwestern style and charm. Set in the shadow of Camelback Mountain, near Scottsdale, Arizona, it has a full range of activities and serves as an excellent base from which to explore the exquisite beauty of the Sonoran Desert.

Additional Information

For additional information on IEEE-USA, consult our Web site: http://www.ieeeusa.org

For additional information on the 2000 IEEE-USA Professional Development Conference, contact:

Linda Hall
Internet: l.hall@ieee.org
Phone: 202/785-0017; Fax: 202/785-0835

You can also take a look at the 1999 ProDevCon program for more information on how the conference is structured and representative topics and session titles.

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