Make connections

When I went back to Michigan for Thanksgiving, my Wednesday flight was delayed until Thursday morning. I recognized a fellow Michigan alum and was able to chat with him during our wait. It is important to make connections, whether it is at your job or someone you meet through other ways. I got my first engineering job through a classmate at U of M, so you never know who will be the one to help you in your career.

What is also important is not to burn bridges. If there is someone at work whom you do not get along with, that's fine but don't say or do things that could come back to hurt the advancement of your career. That person could become your project lead or your boss, or vice versa. If you are planning to leave the company, you may need these same people to be your references. I have heard stories of people that have not made good decisions related to their relationships with coworkers, so just think before you act because you don't want to damage your image and career.