featured YP
Meet Lane Daley—Featured YP for May
By admin | Comments (2)
Where are you from?
Kingsport, TN.
What company/institution do you work for?
Eastman Chemical Company.
Where did you complete/are you completing your chemical engineering education?
I earned a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.
How many years have you been a member of AIChE?
Five.
Describe a recent challenge you managed, notable achievement, or obstacle you overcame at your job or in your work as an AIChE member?
Reinstating a young professionals’ group has provided local YPs with the opportunity to network with other chemical engineers and offers them a means to become more involved in our local section. I proposed reinstating the YP group in response to a large increase in local section membership; the YP group will help keep young professionals active and bridge the gap between experienced and young members of AIChE.
What do you do to meet people in your field?
Attending AIChE events is my preferred method for meeting other ChemEs. Whether it is an event hosted by our local section or a national meeting, these events are great opportunities to network.
If your college had offered a class on real-life skills for the aspiring ChE, what would you want them to teach?
I recently participated in course which taught tips for creating and effectively delivering presentations. These skills are not explicitly taught in most engineering curriculums, but emphasis is put on effective communication. It is unreasonable to expect engineers to improve our communication skills (which are typically not a strength of the average engineer) if we are never trained on how to effectively communicate. The goal is clear, concise communication; equip engineering curriculums with communication courses to provide students with a mechanism to achieve that goal.
If you weren’t a ChE what would you most want to be?
Albeit a chemical engineering degree would be very useful in the pursuit of this profession, but I would want to be a Mythbuster.
What don’t most people know about you?
I am a beginner, amateur bagpiper.
Do you have any advice for current or future young professionals reading ChEnected?
Life is not a dress rehearsal. As a young professional, there is an array of wonderful opportunities right at your fingertips. My advice is to venture outside of your comfort zone. Going to an event with a group of new people can be harder than convincing yourself to jump out of a plane the first time you skydive. The only way to become more comfortable with this is to practice. That first step is never easy, but you will almost never regret it. Don’t be afraid to step up and take the stage. You only live life once; make the most of it.
Lane can be contacted through her LinkedIn account here.
Join us in CONGRATULATING Lane by commenting below!
Previous Featured YP's
- April 2012: Meet Lauren Deitch—Featured YP for April
- February 2012: Meet Meagan Lewis – Featured YP for February
- January 2012: Meet Christine Curran—Featured YP for January
- November 2011: Meet Katherine Gawel—Featured YP for November
Career Services
CareerEngineer
Jobs and Internships on AIChE job board CareerEngineer include positions in Energy, Bio, Water, Environment and other industries posted by employers including Alcoa, Chevron, Eastman Chemical, Novartis, Kellogg, Unilever and more. Open or update your profile and find jobs on CareerEngineer at http://CareerEngineer.aiche.org or Internships at http://internships.aiche.org.
Check out the posts and take a minute to open your account today so employers can search your resume and profile.
ChemE Jobs
Find an Internship
- ChemE Undergrads: Search AIChE’s CareerEngineer for internship and co-op positions on the Internship job board.
- Employers and Recruiters: Post your internship opportunities here and connect with qualified ChemE undergrads on this niche internship job board.
Job Outlook and Interview Tips
The job picture is looking a lot brighter for 2011—the best in three years. According to the latest survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers plan to hire 19.3% more grads than in 2010.
There’s also good news regarding salaries: they’re up an average of 5.9% over 2010. And as we reported previously on ChEnected, the profession at the top of the list is none other than chemical engineering, with an average starting salary of $66,886. Particularly for those of you who are getting into the job market for the first time, here are some quick tips for interviewing:
- You’ve heard it before, but it’s really important: clean-up your social profiles! Employers are looking at you, too.
- Punch up your experience and what you can offer and put it upfront on your resume, because employers will only look at each resume for maximum 30 seconds.
- Learn about the company and industry.
- Include all of your internships on your resume, and be ready to offer details about class and team projects, too.
- Ask questions.
- Remember to turn off your cell to show the interviewer they have your full attention.
- Dress for the interview.
- Send a thank-you note after your interview: in a recent survey, one in five employers said this is important!
For further details about the NACE survey and more tips on interviewing, click here.
Announcement
New Webinar Series: Visions of the Future from Industry Leaders
Business trends such as globalization, sustainability, and changing business models combined with key mega trends such as energy, water, infrastructure, transportation, and health/nutrition will greatly impact how chemical engineers use their abilities to benefit the world. Join us for a new webinar series in which industry leaders share their views on the changes facing the profession. Each 1-hour webinar will feature a different speaker from companies such as Air Products, DuPont and ExxonMobil. The series begins April 14 with current AIChE President and Global Director of R&D Process Technology at The Dow Chemical Company Hank Kohlbrand. Members can attend this session for just one ChemE on Demand credit. Register and see details.
