Engineer Spotlight Anita Rebarchak

Engineer Spotlight Anita Rebarchak Engineer Spotlight Anita Rebarchak Engineer Spotlight Anita RebarchakEngineer Spotlight Anita Rebarchak, Senior Systems Engineer, Pratt Whitney Interview conducted by Dr. Allison Case, a Postdoctoral fellow, at UT Southwestern Medical CenterWinning the ASME 2012 Old Guard Early Career Award, we were able to catch up with Anita Rebarchak, Senior Systems Engineer, Pratt Whitney in Houston to talk with her about the evolution of her career as an early career engineer. In the interview, she provided us with some key practices for career development.CASE When did you first realize you wanted to become an engineer?REBARCHAK I dont think I knew what engineering was exactly. I had a passion for math and science, but I didnt know how to apply it to real world problems. In high school, I had a network of mentors, guidance counselors and teachers that helped guide me to engineering. Selecting mechanical engineering gave me a lot of options to tailor my studi es and my career. I finished my undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering at Drexel University.CASE Were there any other careers you thought about pursuing?REBARCHAK While at Drexel University, I participated in a co-op program. It gave me an opportunity to see engineering in the workplace first-hand and get advice from professional engineers. The experiences in different job positions with various companies within different industries gave me opportunities to learn mora about what engineering is and how it is applied in the real world. I also learned mora about what I liked and did not like. The impact engineering has on people, its constant challenges, and the variety of work solidified that engineering was the career for me.CASE Tell us about your work background and your experience at Pratt Whitney, specifically, what is your role?REBARCHAK In my current role at Pratt Whitney, I work closely with the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin to support fifth-generation engine p rograms. Previously, I worked as a coatings manufacturing process engineer in Pratt Whitneys Turbine Module Center. My responsibilities included developing and standardizing processes for coatings on turbine blades, day-to-day production support, and implementation of process certification initiatives to improve quality and operational efficiency.CASE What do you know about your career now, that you wish you had known earlier?REBARCHAK I wish I learned how to network more effectively. Networking is invaluable early in your career and throughout your entire career really. It can be an awkward situation at first. However, over time you develop your own style, learn from others, and make changes to improve. Now, I am always evolving my own techniques for networking, communication, and continuous learning. In this field, its incredibly critical to always be improving and learning in order to stay relevant and competitive.CASE Tell us about your two masters programs and how do they comp lement your engineering education?REBARCHAK Pratt Whitney really values continuing education. I started my first masters degree in mechanical engineering, but it evolved into a masters in engineering science. This allowed me to customize a program that involved decision sciences, engineering systems and applied statistics for engineering and earn a Six Sigma Black Belt certification. It had a direct impact on the work that I was doing in manufacturing and continues to help me perform stronger data analysis when solving problems today.My second masters is in engineering management. The engineering management degree had a course curriculum similar to an M.B.A that focused on technical people and environments while learning management and business theory and applying it to case studies and solving problems in the areas of leadership, finance, economics, operations and logistics, menschlich resources and marketing. The most effective engineers can understand technical aspects as well a s communicate their knowledge clearly and concisely, understand the business environment, and be aware of how their products and projects have an impact on business results.CASE It seems like you enjoy your work and what you do. What do you do for fun or when you are not at work?REBARCHAK I love the volunteer work I do with ASME. To me, its fun and exciting. I like the people, initiatives and the activities that we do in ASME and my impact as a volunteer.I also like to do what other young people like do, such as spending quality time with my family and friends. I enjoy cooking, baking, gardening, and hiking. When I get the opportunity, travelling and exploring new places is a great thrill.CASE Tell us a little bit about your experience with ASME?REBARCHAK I first got involved with ASME as a freshman at Drexel University with the university student section. An upperclassman recruited me to be a representative for my freshmen class and then the sophomore class. As part of the executiv e committee, we planned social, technical, and career development programs and worked to get other students interested in the Society. Later, I moved into a vice chair role.When I moved to Connecticut after college, I was introduced to the local ASME section by a colleague and continued my volunteer work with the Hartford section. From there, I attended the ASME Leadership Training Conference (LTC) as an early career delegate. I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn more about the society and gain leadership skills. It was that and so much more I connected with other early career engineers in the Society that were volunteering on student and early career initiatives on a more strategic level. That is how I got involved with the Committee on Early Career Development (CECD). I began participating in the CECD initiatives and I have been heavily involved with that for the past few years.In Hartford, I am a student liaison for the student sections in our area. As a student lia ison, I work with the student sections to connect students with professional engineers and other ASME members in the Hartford area and throughout the Society. I also mentor students one-on-one and work with the sections to coordinate student programs, such as professional development conferences, industry tours, resume reviews, and guest speakers.I have been involved with several other ASME committees and initiatives, but I would say that the main part of my volunteer work has been focused on students and early career engineers.CASE What best practices would you offer to an early career engineer about being successful in their career?REBARCHAK Join a professional society and get involved. Some of the best and brightest engineers are members of professional societies like ASME. Its a great way to build your network and learn new things about the industry you are in or learn about industries and technologies you never would have thought about or considered for your career.Being part o f ASME has given me the opportunity to grow and practice my engineering and leadership skills. Its been a very comfortable and supportive environment where I could try things out, and learn about myself, how I react to different situations, and how I can make an impact. Those skills can be directly applied to situations I face in my profession and to being a leader in the workplace.CASE You were recently awarded the Old Guard Early Career award at ASMEs IMECE in November. How do you feel about being selected and what was your reaction when you heard?REBARCHAK I am definitely excited and feel honored to receive this award. I think its a great way for ASME to put a face on early career engineers and recognize the achievements they attain personally and professionally. I hope that it is going to inspire other early career engineers as they progress in their careers. I am also very thankful for the support of the ASME Old Guard and their initiatives that improve skills of students and e arly career engineers and assist in bridging the gap between college and professional life.

Robots wont take our jobs, say workers theyll take yours instead

Robots wont take our jobs, say workers theyll take yours insteadRobots wont take our jobs, say workers - theyll take yours insteadAs you look around your professional world, your calendar of meetings, your carefully calibrated instincts, and your strong performance reviews, the robot revolution is probably elend your primary worry. You probably think Id like to see a robot try to do all this.Larry Summers agrees.The former Treasury secretary and current Harvard professor wrote an intriguing opinion piece in the Washington Post which had a simple message Sure, you may lose your job, but dont blame the robots for it.Citing positive innovations like ja genau processing and mobile banking, Summers pleaded, why pick on robots?The target of Summers displeasure Bill Gates. The philanthropist and former Microsoft CEO told Quartz that hewants to taxour future techno-overlords.Summers isnt so sure that will work Does Gates think anyone, let alone Congress, the Trump administration or a commi ssion comprised of his fellow technocrats, can distinguish labor-saving activities from labor-enhancing ones? Surely even if experts could draw such distinctions, the ability of the IRS to administer them is in doubt.Americansare okay with robots taking someone elses jobAutomation is a real economic trend, not a hype-driven panic. Around 47% of US jobs are at risk because of automation,according to research published by the University of Oxford in 2013.But those numbers dont fully reflect how people feel about the subject.Indeed, most Americans have very little hostility toward their future robot overlords. Thats becausenot all Americans mind the bots replacing people in certain positions they just cant imagine themselves getting fired to make way for one.Some 66% of people said they agree or strongly agree that their jobs arent going anywhere, but that others will,according to a LivePersonsurvey.Blue-collar robots versus white-collar robotsThatsurveyof 2,000 Americans by customer s ervice firm LivePerson belastung month asked people to pick which jobs they would trust a robots or automated intelligence to do - if they could do them as well or better than a person.A lot of respondents decided to throw blue-collar jobs under the robot wheels 55% said cashier and 52% said factory worker, while 28% said customer service representative,22% said taxi driver, 4% said doctor/nurse, and 3% chose robot lawyers over human ones.There were holdouts 18.5% said they wouldnt trust automation in place of any jobs. (Those people will surely be the first to go when the technological revolution comes.)But robots are getting smarter every day. Yes, theyve replaced cashiers and other blue-collar jobs, but white-collar jobs are not far behind. This month, robots could be doing your taxes, inHR Blocks partnership with IBMs Watson.Even some investment bankers - richly paid advisers on mergers and acquisitions - had their bonuses taken awaylast year by their employer, a href=/company /goldmansachs-jobsGoldman Sachs/a. This year, perhaps not coincidentally, Goldman decided to support its mergers team with 75 programmers whose job is to create algorithms to better judge which mergers will work and which ones wont. That sounds great, until you remember thats the exact job investment bankers are supposed to do. No wonder young bankers are nervous.Using technology todo your taxesIn fact, robots have widely made headway into thefinancial services industry, where humans long believed that personal judgment was superior. Think of your stockbroker or your financial adviser, or your accountant or lawyer. Robots can do many aspects of those jobs now.Tax services company HR Block is partnering with IBM Watson to do your taxes this season, for the first time. HR Block employees will be using the technology to find credits and deductions available to customers.Its stunning to see how adaptable Watson is. The companies have trained the human-like technology in the federal tax code, and HR Block said the technology uses cognitive computingYou can think of Watson as being a translator in a senseTypically, you go in to get your taxes done, and bring your paper work and then you sit there on your side of the desk its not easy to see what theyre doing and whats going on, IBM spokeswoman Katy Rosati told Bloomberg Law.Technology has already replaced many other financial functions, including investing advice so-called robo-advisersincluding Betterment and WealthFront are gaining in popularity.Another way robots and algorithms are beating humans your 401(k). Studies consistently show that your investments perform better if you just dump your money in a passive vehicle, like an index fund or exchange-traded fund, rather than letting an active human manager pick stocks.Why Bill Gates wants to tax robotsBill Gates thinks that if robots are taking your place at work, theyshould also be requiredto pay taxes, like you do.Sincehuman work is subject to an income tax, r obots replacing those people in those places should be taxed at a similar level, he saidin an vorstellungsgesprch with Quartz.But Harvard University President Emeritus Lawrence Summers argued against Gatess proposal in a Washington Post opinion piece today. Robots are hugely productive, he argued - and because their numbers are potentially limitless, they can create economic growth and we shouldnt hold them back for slow-working humans.Imagine that 50 people can produce robots who will do the work of 100, Summers wrote in the Washington Post. A sufficiently high tax on robots would prevent them from being produced. Surely it would be better for society to enjoy the extra output and establish suitable taxes and transfers to protect displaced workers. It is hard to see why shrinking the pie, rather than enlarging it as much as possible and then redistributing, is the right way forward.Of course, this discussion is still highly theoretical. While automation and even drones proliferate to make our work easier, there are jobs that are too dangerous for both robots and humans the robots sent to examine the Fukushima nuclear accident site in Japan keep dying.

Side hustle ideas for people who are already way too busy

Side hustle ideas for people who are already way too busySide hustle ideas for people who are already way too busySo youre trying to make some extra money on the side, and are looking for side hustle ideas to cash in on the entrepreneur lifestyle. Becauseeveryonesdoing it - hustling to make a few extra bucks, trying out a couple of side gigs orwork from home jobshere and there.But if youre already working a regular 9-to-5, arent you alreadyway too busy?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreHow do you find the time to do all of this hustling and still enjoy living your life?Its true that a lot of side hustles focus solely on the hustle part. For example, youll find suggestions all over the internet about becoming a driver forUberorLyftridesharing, andAmazon FlexorPrime Nowdelivery services.GrubHubandDoorDashare popular services for restaurant delivery.But what if you dont have the tim e or bandwidth to do all of thatphysicalhustling? What if you already work a full-time job, therefore only have a few hours a week to dedicate to side gigs?Why Some Side Hustle Ideas Just Dont WorkAdditionally, there are some people who may not have the flexibility or convenience of doing extra work outside of the home.There could be many different reasons for this, such asNot having reliable transportationCaring for children or older family membersA physical or emotional disability keeping them at homeUnpredictable or longer hours during their full-time jobNo familial support for working an additional jobId like to play devils advocate to the high-powered motivational gurus who say things like Your Only Limit is Yourself and If You Really Want it Badly Enough, Youll Find a Way to Do It.I calltotal BSon that sentiment.Because many people areover-stressed, overworked, undervalued, and underpaid.When youre already teetering on the edge of financial chaos, you will grasp at whatever li feline you feel youre capable of grabbing a hold of.And its totallyunhelpfulfor a self-proclaimed money expert to declare yourejust not working hard enough.Seriously??The Anti-Social Media InfluencerIn addition, Id like to throw something a little bit controversial out there. Some people(not naming any anthroponyms)just dont like other people.There, I said it.Because there are those of us who just really value our alone time. So working 40+ hours a week for someone else, and then having to dedicateanother10-15 hours for an external side hustle - will not last very long.You can only force yourself into uncomfortable situations for so long before you finally throw your arms up in the air and yellScrew it.(or another similar phrase).Human interaction overload can send someanti-social butterfliesinto an anxious tailspin.Like, if you need me, Ill be locked away in my bedroom for the next two days, recovering from all the people-ing Ive had to do lately. Just leave a pizza and a few bot tles of water by the door. And maybe a pint of Ben Jerrys. As long as I have my phone, my laptop, and my dogs - Ill be pretty self-sufficient. Okay, and maybe my Kindle. Thats all Ill really need. But dont worry about me, because I just need to recharge for a while. Build up that outer shell of protection thats chipped away after too many back-to-back in-person events.The Introvert Advantage of an Online Side HustleIf you happen to be a people person, then much of the above probably did not make a whole lot of sense.But if you found this article because youre looking for ways to make money zugreifbar - without a lot of human interaction - then theres a good chance you know what Im talking about.Because there definitelyareways to make extra money on the side, on your own terms, on a part-time basis.And it isabsolutelypossible to work from home, at your own pace and on your own schedule,withouthaving to leave the house whatsoever.Now, dont get me wrong - it most likely will not mak e you rich.Lets just say that again - It ishighly unlikelythat you will becomerichoff of a part-time, online, side hustle.Others may tell you differently. Most likely, they are trying tosell you something. But I dont want your money.I mean, I coulddefinitelyuse some money, but its notyoursthat Im after.What Idreally loveis for you to read my articles, and pass them along to your friends.But Im notsellinganything. I dont have a course, or an ebook, or online coaching sessions.Im sharing this information to get it out there to the people who have one (or two, or three) too many bills.Or are strapped for cash due to an unexpected expense. Or maybe went a little too crazy this past holiday season, and are still trying to dig out from under theircredit cards.Ive been there, youve been there, weve all been there. And if you havent then youre probably a Kardashian or something.Side Gigs That Require a Lot of Hustle, with Little GainWhen so many online articles offer 99 Easy Ways to Make E xtra Money on the Side or Top 25 Side Hustle Ideas to Make You Rich, it can be utterly discouraging to find side hustle ideas that can actually workfor you.Because so many suggest ideas such as tag sale/flea market flipping, selling handcrafted products on eBay or Etsy, or selling wholesale on Amazon FBA, where you have to package and mail these items out.Flipping rental properties, renting out your vehicle, house sitting/pet sitting, house cleaning (when ourownhouses may have dust bunnies that should be paying rent by now). Again, these are allnotablyprofitableside hustle ideas. But they also require a fair amount of time, physical activity, and effort.Side Hustle Ideas That You Can Do from HomeOkay, so if youve made it this far and youre still with me, then I can only assume youd like to hear more.Weve established the difference between in-home, online side hustles and external, physically busting-your-butt side hustles. Neither concept is right or wrong, its really just a matter of preference.And I prefer the flexibility of working at home, according to my own schedule. Especially since my day job is also from home. If your regular 9-to-5 has you out and about, then your preference may be different.For example, I have a friend who does amazingly well with a mystery shopping side hustle. So well, in fact, that she is currently writing a book about it. She travels around the state quite a bit, and is able to cash in by scheduling several shops back to back. Thats a perfect way to maximize efficiencies, and get the best bang for your buck (+ better gas mileage).But if you have a situation thats better suited for working from home, then read on for some different side hustle ideas.Working Entirely from HomeThe following side hustles can be done entirely from home, according to your schedule. While there is a certain level of effort involved - you can basically make your own hours. Plus you can do as much or as little as youd like.First lets abflug with an obvi ous one, to get it out of the way - Online SurveysWho hasnt tried online surveys? I think out of all the side hustle ideas out there, taking surveys takes the cake in terms of getting a bad rap. Online surveys have gotten some negative press over the years, simply because theyre the absoluteeasiestway to makea little bitof money.Emphasis on little bit.But its still money.Because all you have to do is provide your opinion. Something each and every one of us has. Thehard partis finding a company that will pay you top dollar for the least amount of your time. And for my money, Ill take my chances withSurvey Savvyevery time. Why? Because out of all the companies Ive tried, Survey Savvy has consistently sent me the most surveys in the $1, $2, and $5 price range.Most other companies will either give you pennies, or award points you need to accumulate convert into a few dollars. Additionally, joining the Survey Savvy team will allow even more money-making opportunities. For example, thei rCash for Junk Mailprogram, and also various online research communities.IntelliZoom PanelIntelliZoomis kind of a cross between online survey and website user testing. Youre assigned a task, which usually involves evaluating a website. All steps of the task are recorded with either screen recording software, webcam video, or both. You walk through all of the task steps, answering questions and explaining your thought process. They really want you to Think Out Loud, to understand the average customer mindset. And the reason Im specifically including this company here is because the payout is$10 per study. With other online survey or web testing sites, youmightbe lucky enough to stumble across a $10 study. But it definitely isnt something offered on a consistent basis.Kindle Self-PublishingAre you more of a creative type? If you love to write stories, you should consider self-publishing on Amazon. You might think getting a book published would be a complicated process,but it really is nt.Using the Kindle Direct Publishing platform, they take care of all of the technical details. You upload your completed document, add a cover image and description, and Amazon takes care of the rest. Many people make a great side income bywriting short stories. And the beauty of this is - once you have your book listed on Amazon, it will stay there for years to come, earning income withno additional workon your end.eJury MemberIf you watch prime time television, you may have seen the popular CBS show Bull, starring Michael Weatherly. Its a courtroom drama about a trial-consulting firm that assembles mock juries to help predict potential trial outcomes. Sound interesting? Well, you can have the opportunity to do the same thing, entirely online.eJury.combrings together online juries and focus groups to help attorneys develop their case strategies, based on valuable data and information that YOU provide. You can sign up to be an eJuror right on the website, and will be contacted onc e a qualifying case becomes available. A typical case consists of a written description - facts, diagrams, pictures, and questions. The average case study takes 35 minutes, and you are paid$5 $10 per case, depending on length.Affiliate MarketingAffiliate marketing, if done correctly, is pretty much a set it and forget it. A certain amount of work is required up front, and then after that will be totally passive income. So what exactly is affiliate marketing? Its basically when you vouch for a product or service, recommending it to others. And then that company offers you a reward for bringing in new customers. It could be a certain dollar amount, a free product, or a free service, depending on what the company sells. And its something everyone can do, even if you dont have ablog or professional onlinepresence.Im sure youve heard of cash back or refund programs likeEbates (aka Rakuten), where you get money back from making purchases online. But did you know you can also make money as an Ebates affiliate? You sign up through their affiliate program, and are given your own personal affiliate link. Then you promote your link on social media, or by email to family and friends, and yes, even on your blog, if you have one.And for every person who signs up through your link with a qualifying sale,you will earn $25.Thats hugeAnd its also why sooo many people promote Ebates online. Its a heck of a lot easier toearn $25 referrals, than to actually earn $25 cash back after making online purchases.Fun factEbates has been officially renamed/rebranded to Rakuten, which means optimism in Japanese.Selling Photos Stock FootageIf you were to look at your phone right now, how many photos do you think would be on there? I just looked at mine, and I have 668 photos, plus 104 videos. Wouldnt it beamazingif you could somehow make money on a few of these photos? I dont mean by selling out your bestie, or posting a bunch of selfies online. But if you have high-quality photos (in foc us, non-blurry) of outdoor scenes, foliage, nature, animals, flowers, sunsets - you name it - you can make money by selling them online.Websites likeShutterstock, Pond5,iStock/Getty images, and Fotolia will pay you for your still pictures or stock footage (short video clips). Each company has its specific guidelines. But in general, they look for quality photos that are generic and seasonal, which others can then purchase for commercial or personal use through their website. Also, if there are people in your pics or footage, then a model release form also needs to be completed.Merch by AmazonOne of the quickest and easiest ways to sell a physical product online is through Print on Demand. This means you provide a design, and the POD company takes care of printing, shipping, and customer support. Merch by Amazon is the platform I recommend for getting started with POD, since its user friendly and extremely popular. I mean,everybodyhas shopped on Amazon one or two times, right?This article first appeared on Money Mix.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people