What do you do if you're a mid-career manufacturing engineer and want better compensation and benefits?

1 Assess your skills and goals

The first step to improve your career prospects is to assess your current skills and goals. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manufacturing engineer? What are the most in-demand and emerging skills in your industry and sector? What are your short-term and long-term career aspirations? How do you measure your performance and impact? By answering these questions, you can identify your gaps and opportunities, and create a realistic and actionable plan to enhance your skills and achieve your goals.

4 Seek new challenges and responsibilities

One of the best ways to advance your career and get better compensation and benefits is to seek new challenges and responsibilities that demonstrate your initiative, creativity, and leadership. You can do this by volunteering for cross-functional or cross-departmental projects, taking on more complex or strategic tasks, proposing new ideas or solutions, or mentoring junior engineers. By doing so, you can showcase your skills, expand your knowledge, and add value to your organization.

5 Negotiate your salary and benefits

The final step is to negotiate your salary and benefits with confidence and professionalism. You should do your research on the market rates, industry trends, and company policies before you start the negotiation process. You should also prepare a list of your achievements, contributions, and expectations, and use them as evidence to support your case. You should also consider the non-monetary aspects of your compensation package, such as flexible hours, remote work, training opportunities, or stock options. You should be respectful, assertive, and realistic, and aim for a win-win outcome.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?