鈥淭he most important thing you can market is not just what you can do鈥攂ut who you are becoming.鈥�
1. Build Both Depth and Breadth
Anchor yourself in a strong specialty. Employers need to know you can master something deeply, whether it鈥檚 nonlinear dynamics, structural design, or control systems. That specialty becomes your professional identity鈥攖he skill you can 鈥渉ang your hat on.鈥�
But don鈥檛 stop there. The world rarely works in silos. Projects live at the intersection of technology, finance, policy, and people. Although I never formally studied finance, much of my career involved financial restructuring and due diligence鈥攂ecause I could connect engineering realities with financial consequences. That broader perspective let me sit at the table with bankers, government officials, and industry leaders, not just fellow engineers.
Depth opens the door. Breadth allows you to contribute at higher levels and remain relevant as technology and industries change.
鈥淒epth gets you hired; breadth keeps you valuable.鈥�
2. Stay Flexible 鈥� Learn to Pivot
Career paths rarely unfold the way we imagine. I often planned multiple options, and not a single one turned out exactly as I thought. But knowing I had options gave me confidence.
I once advised a man with a very narrow PhD focus. He was determined to stay in that specialty鈥攁nd he searched for work for seven years without success. When he finally broadened his perspective and accepted a position outside his niche, it turned out to be the best job he ever dreamed of having.
The lesson: don鈥檛 cling so tightly to your original vision that you miss opportunities. Pivoting is not failure. It is the courage to try a new path鈥攁nd often the doorway to growth.
鈥淧ivoting isn鈥檛 giving up 鈥� it鈥檚 discovering new opportunity.鈥�
3. Networking Matters 鈥� More Than You Think
Most people see conferences as places to present papers and sit through technical sessions. That is the surface value. The real value lies in hallway conversations, chance meetings, and buffet lunches.
At a conference in New York in 1980, I struck up a casual conversation over lunch with someone I had never met. That chat turned into a job offer in Seattle..
When you attend conferences, be intentional. Ask forward-looking questions: 鈥淲here is your industry headed? Why do you stay with your company? What trends excite you?鈥� Such questions make conversations memorable.
鈥淐areers are built in corridors, not just conference rooms.鈥�
4. Confidence with Humility
The skill that sets people apart is not arrogance but what I call 鈥渉umble confidence.鈥� It鈥檚 the ability to present yourself as competent without boasting, and curious without being na茂ve.
People remember those who make them feel smarter. I often explained difficult concepts in simple language. I boiled it down to plain terms. When someone learns something new from you, they walk away not only smarter but also remembering you.
Stories also make you memorable.
鈥淏e memorable through stories, not self-promotion.鈥�
5. Lessons from Hiring
Over the years, I reviewed hundreds鈥攎aybe thousands鈥攐f CVs and hired dozens of people.
Here鈥檚 what stood out:
Imagination matters. My best hire was a shy young man who admitted he read science fiction. That signaled curiosity and creativity鈥攓ualities that fuel innovation.
Fit with the team is crucial. I asked candidates to meet three team members. If the chemistry wasn鈥檛 there, we spared everyone future misery.
Character outweighs technical ability. You can train software or math. You cannot train loyalty, honesty, or resilience.
6. Marketing Yourself
Many career seekers think marketing is something only salespeople do. Not true. Every professional markets themselves鈥攆irst to get a job, and then within the company to earn promotions and opportunities.
To market yourself effectively, tell stories that highlight your contributions in ways others can understand. Your audience but they will appreciate a simple analogy or a lesson learned. When you help people learn something new in a way they can understand, you make yourself memorable.
This isn鈥檛 self-promotion for the sake of ego. It鈥檚 building a reputation as someone who adds value, communicates clearly, and connects ideas to people.
鈥淭each something in every conversation.鈥�
7. Understand Who You Are
Take time to ask: 鈥淲ho am I? What do I want to contribute?鈥� The answers will change over time, and that鈥檚 normal. As a child in the 1950s, I wanted to be a milkman because milk was delivered by horse-drawn wagons and I loved the horses. That dream changed as my world changed.
Rigid plans are brittle. The best leaders are adaptable. Today鈥檚 world values innovation, imagination, and the ability to improve systems, not just maintain them. Your outlook shapes how others see you. If you approach work only for a paycheck, you鈥檙e a tourist. If you approach work as an opportunity to contribute and add value, you become part of building something lasting.
鈥淵our outlook is your signature.鈥�
8. Industry Outlook
Infrastructure and energy remain central to global development. Roads, bridges, hydroelectric power, and large-scale systems need engineers who can see beyond calculations to how projects fit into society.
My own career included major international assignments, including a $700 million due diligence deal. Experiences like these confirmed that the demand for broad-minded, adaptable engineers is global.
Opportunities are out there for those who combine technical expertise with flexibility and vision.
鈥淭hink systems. Think society. Think impact.鈥�
Closing Thought
Your career will not be shaped only by grades, resumes, or how many job applications you send. It will be shaped by flexibility, resilience, and the stories you carry with you. Build relationships. Stay curious. Be humble but confident. And never stop asking how you can add value.
In the end, the most important thing you can market is not just what you can do鈥攂ut who you are becoming.
鈥淐haracter cannot be trained. Skills can. Build a life worth remembering.鈥�
Dr. Willy Kotiuga, PhD, MFA
BGU Professor, Engineer, Writer, Mentor