Significant Career Lesson From a System Engineer at Raytheon Technologies
A significant career lesson for Cesar, a System Engineer at Raytheon Technologies, was recognizing the two main career paths for engineers: research and development ("R&D") leading to subject matter expertise, and program management offering high visibility and leadership opportunities. Realizing this distinction allowed Cesar to "carve out the path" for their future career progression, avoiding earlier confusion from simultaneously pursuing both.
Career Paths, Engineering Disciplines, R&D vs. Program Management, Career Clarity, Long-Term Career Goals
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Cesar Cabrera
System Engineer
Raytheon Technologies
California State University, Long Beach
N/A
Engineering - Mechanical
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense, Government & Public Sector
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Honors Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Knowing your career goals helps you focus your efforts and progress more effectively. Cesar highlights two main paths for engineers: research & development (leading to specialization and expertise), and program management (with higher visibility and leadership opportunities).
2. It's important to understand the different career paths available within engineering. Cesar initially struggled by trying to pursue both simultaneously, which slowed his progress. Choosing a clear path helps create a focused career trajectory.
3. Early career exploration is valuable, but ultimately choosing a specific direction is important for career advancement. Cesar's experience shows the benefit of clarifying your goals and aligning your efforts accordingly for long-term success.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you've learned that has proven significant in your career?
I think knowing where I wanted to end up was important. As an engineer, there are two main paths, though there might be more.
One path is research and development. The other path involves programs with high visibility from leadership, like Chief Executives. These programs often lead to program management roles.
The R&D side leads to becoming a subject matter expert. People often pursue PhDs and specialize in a particular field. When something goes wrong, like with a test set or a composite part, these are the experts we call. They generally know how to fix things, assess them, or provide a path forward.
Knowing these two paths is critical. At first, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I was confused and trying both, but I felt I was separating myself in two different directions and not progressing as I should have.
Once it became clearer, it helped me carve out the path for myself for the next five or ten years.