Although I’ve had a profile for about six years, I really only got engaged and active on LinkedIn a little over a year ago.  And since then I’ve been compiling a list of the Top Engineers to Follow on LinkedIn.

With “marketers” and “influencers” in every corner of LinkedIn, I caught myself wondering, “Where are all my engineers at?”

And I have to tell you it felt pretty lonely.

Don’t get me wrong – there are some AMAZING, diverse, non-engineers that I’ve met and learned from via LinkedIn.

Alexandra Galviz has inspired me to embrace authenticity.  String Nguyen has helped me up my personal branding and video game (and restored my love of fried chicken and dancing in the process).  Rachel West Palombo has been a steady and supportive presence, asking thought-provoking questions to keep my perspective sharp.  And my eyes have been opened to the power of storytelling in job search by the wonderful Kerri Twigg.

But as an engineer, sometimes you just want to dig into something more technical.  All of the folks below are active on LinkedIn and provide regular content, weekly or sometimes daily, to help you grow as an engineer and professional! As I’ve connected with each of the amazing engineers below, my knowledge of engineering, engineering leadership, and engineering career success have grown tremendously!

And that’s why I’m honored to share with you these tremendous people as the Top Engineers to Follow on LinkedIn in 2018 (+ 1 Bonus)!

 

Andy Webster

A self-described “Engineering Exciter”, Andy wants to encourage people of all ages to find a career in engineering. He also wants desperately to see a socially fair and an equal workplace. And he also loves personal development and growth to become better versions of ourselves.

 Why I follow Andy

Andy’s values shine through in all of his posts.  A model for inclusion and respect, Andy openly shares his experiences to help others!

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Andy?

“I think so much of what’s exciting about our world today has engineers involved. For me engineering with impact is about bringing that passion and vision for what engineers can do into my work and into my virtual network on LinkedIn.

I’ve been amazed to be on the journey this last year where LI transitioned from being an online CV/resume to now where you can bring your voice and find your tribe. I love the people I’ve virtually met and some I’ve then worked with or met up at LinkedIn meetups. For me it’s the excitement about what’s possible that keeps me connected, sharing and bringing my voice.”

 

Anne Meixner

Prompted by a layoff of herself and other experienced engineers Anne Meixner envisioned a blogsite to share stories of engineering craft.  The people practicing engineering have every day issues and problems to solve. She began The Engineers’ Daughter with the intent to raise the standard of engineer so that every problem solved and issue encounter has a story.

The stories engineers share over coffee, lunch or a beer that speak to the core of how engineers make the impossible possible and the everyday sustainable.  The stories engineers share with younger engineers to say “Yeah I’ve been there too.” She began with sharing stories from her own career under Their Stories.

In Jan 2018 the site begins to feature stories from other engineers collected from talking with individuals and participants of the BSIDES PDX conference.  The latter storytelling experience begins Anne’s service to provide a storytelling experience at engineering conferences. This unique experience offers conference organizers the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of their attendees and share it after the conference.

The collected stories support the The Engineers’ Daughter’s mission to collect stories of sexy hard problems and everyday issues in engineering craft.

 Why I follow Anne

Engaged and thoughtful, Anne always provides value with her posts and comments on LinkedIn.  With decades of engineering experience to lean on, Anne tells it like it is. Her real-world approach is valuable for new and aspiring engineering leaders!

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Anne?

In Anne’s words, “To #EngineerWithImpact, I believe that engineers need to craft a solution that balances efficacy, efficiency and economy appropriately for the problem to be solved. Sometimes that means a one-off ad-hoc solution at other times it means taking the longer sustainable approach which can take several years.

I come from an analytical family in which both parents spent at least part of their career working in engineering.

Defects in semiconductors have fascinated me since my first full-time job at IBM.  I thrive on the intellectual challenge presented by the complexities of semiconductor manufacturing. Defects are inevitable yet there exist several ways to manage them.

I have three decades of experience in manufacturing test focused primarily on test methods often involving Design For Test circuitry. Engineering is a team sport and as a senior engineer at Intel Corporation I found enjoyment in assembling a team to get the job done.

Now working as a consultant I use my expertise to make her clients projects more successful. In addition, I provide career development to engineers via individual coaching, presentations and training.”

 

Fred Schenkelberg

Fred posts regularly about engineering and specifically, reliability engineering topics.

“The Musing articles are my take on the application of tools and techniques essential to be an effective reliability engineering professional. The CRE Preparation Notes is a series of short tutorials on the topics in the ASQ CRE body of knowledge. The NoMTBF.com articles are short pieces concerning misconceptions, misuse, misunderstandings concerning common reliability practices, in particular the rampant use of MTBF when discussing reliability of a product or system”.

 Why I follow Fred

Fred regularly shares amazing reliability engineering content!  With dozens of active contributors to his accendoreliability.com, each day Fred shares articles, podcasts and other great content for engineers! (psst – I’m one of the contributors!  Check it out!).

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Fred?

“An engineer with impact is one that adds value with every engagement, encounter, and with every task. Adding value may be solving a problem, engineering a solution, reducing cost, saving time, or reducing risk. We are not engineers to simply check off prescribed tasks, we’re to accomplish the tasks that actually move our career, organization, and customers along with the aim to improve the quality of life worldwide. I became an engineer accidentally as I found the nature of the work, solving practical problems, suited me well.”

 

Ash Norton

A first generation college graduate and chemical engineer, I set out in the corporate world to make a significant, positive impact.

What I discovered is it was my strengths as a leader, not just my highly developed technical skills or business acumen, that set me apart in my career.

Since then, I have committed to teaching engineers how to improve their impact through professional and leadership development.

Why I follow Ash

Well this is awkward….

How about instead, I share what other engineers on LinkedIn have to say about my content?

“I am encouraged and inspired by your posts, articles, and comments that I see. They are thought-provoking as well as convicting all at the same time. They get my wheels spinning as I think about my own leadership development, whether personal or professional. I appreciate your insights!” – Jonathan Girdler

“Thanks for sharing so much great content!” – Colin Brooks

“Ash goes above and beyond! She provides young engineers with actionable guidance on how to improve their engineering and business skills. Ash has been a mentor and role model, leading me through my early career as an engineer. Her advice has been a critical part of me becoming the effective engineer I am. Thank you!” – Elizabeth Johnson

“Ash helped me focus my career goals at a time when I felt very overwhelmed with different possibilities. I appreciate the time she took to get to know me and value her professional advice. I continue to check her website and articles for support in navigating the engineering industry. Thank you Ash!” – Heather Knox

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Ash?

From an early age, I’ve always wanted to make a difference.  So as an adult, in my professional career, it is incredibly important to know that the work that I am doing is having an impact – on the world or in someone’s life.

I believe this is something that we all want.  It is hard to put 100% into something if you don’t feel like it is making a difference.

And I saw this time and time again – bright, ambitious engineers struggling to get their work implemented because they lacked the professional or leadership skills necessary to persuade and influence others.

That’s why I’ve embarked on this journey of helping engineers reach their full potential through leadership and professional development!

As engineers, we pride ourselves on the ability to problem-solve.  And rightfully so. We are dang good at it! We’ve spent years, if not decades of our lives, honing the craft of working through problem after problem, getting a precise solution.  But sometimes we get so focused on solving the problem in front of us that we don’t stop to think if the problem is really…well…the problem. And when we fail to solve the right problems, we fail to Engineer with Impact.

 

Tirthak Saha

Tirthak openly shares incidents in his life and lessons he’s learnt from them. They usually revolve around a theme of re-inventing yourself and being adaptable to change. He does not preach though –  just shares his experiences. If you find commonality and value in his experience and want to apply it to your life, he is honored and happy. If not, that’s perfectly fine too! “Don’t let anyone tell you how to live your life, but be open to learning and adapting.”

He also created an open platform for his connections to share their thoughts and views on certain topics. “It helps me learn and in the process, others find a sort of a curated library of incredible content. I started a series of LI posts around this concept called#LinkedInContentShare and people really seemed to find a lot of value in it.”

 Why I follow Tirthak

Raw and provoking, Tirthak’s posts always get me thinking!  His open, honest approach to sharing his experiences help me to reflect and learn from my own experiences.  He hasn’t just caught my attention – Forbes recently named Tirthak as one of the top 30 under 30 in Energy for 2018.

What does Engineer With Impact mean to Tirthak?

As Tirthak says, “I feel that to “Engineer with Impact” you have to be more than just an Engineer. You have to find ways to prevent yourself from (what I call) ideating in isolation. What you build, what you design, is hardly ever for yourself. It’s for your community. So you have to understand what they want and what their pain points are. In order to successfully do that, you have to integrate yourself with your community even outside of your day-job. It is a 24-7 process.

For me personally, I do it through my tech blogs, LinkedIn posts, and with my science literacy advocacy efforts. Teaching is often the best way to learn. Researching topics for my blogs gives me insights into what people are interested in, technologically. That influences what projects I develop at work. That’s how you create impact that is helpful.”

 

Jay Flores

Jay believes that society gets the best of what it celebrates. As a Global STEM Ambassador, Jay knows just how important celebrating STEM is to the future of the world. He believes that “we can change the world by inspiring young minds to keep doing cool things with STEM!” His content on LinkedIn aims to help parents, educators and engineers reach youth on terms that are as entertaining as they are educational. If you’re excited about getting young people engaged with STEM, you’ll want to follow Jay Flores on LinkedIn and www.jayfloresinspires.com.

 Why I follow Jay

Inspiring!  You can feel Jay’s energy through the screen.  Every post motivates me to take this STEM advocacy journey with him.

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Jay?

Jay believes, “The power of STEM can help young girls and boys become super heroes, solve big (and little) problems and contribute their best ideas to improve our planet. I’m inspired to get involved in my community and beyond (via LinkedIn) to increase awareness to the importance of inspiring young problem solvers.

I’m spreading the word through energizing presentations and outreach to schools, community groups and industry experts. As a keynote speaker, I’ve mastered connecting STEM to everyday life and motivating students to become tomorrow’s innovators. LinkedIn allows me to amplify this message to a much larger audience across the globe.”

 

Monique Stotts

Monique’s background is in Chemical Engineering.  She enjoys science and technology. She posts often about different science or business concepts all have something that can be learned from them. Her quote is “Life is like chemistry, it’s all about the bonds people make…”

 Why I follow Monique

Fun and upbeat – Monique’s videos are educational and creative!  She also sets a great example of how engineers can use professional and communication skills to share their technical knowledge.

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Monique?

To Monique, “Engineer with impact means making a significant change for the greater good of all. Discoveries, new technologies, products are just some of the great contributions from fellow engineers to have positively impacted humanity.”

 

Thomas A. Anderson

Active on LinkedIn, Thomas uses it to help new engineers succeed.

“LinkedIn is a wonderful asset to the engineering community. It offers the highest of professional standards for social media and offers a platform where a professional can make a personal brand. I use LinkedIn for networking as well as helping others.

I find that I can make a connection in the morning, learn about someone during the day, and make a lasting relationship before I go to bed at night. Millions of people on LinkedIn are willing to help others and many have helped me. I am active on LinkedIn and created the ESRG group to help others and learn more about them.”

 Why I follow Thomas

Thomas shares content daily that is helpful for young engineers, especially those seeking new positions.  His posts are 1 part career advice + 1 part engineering insights!

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Thomas?

Thomas shares, “I became an engineer to learn how the things around me work. When I was a child my parents had an attic they rarely visited. I would do odd jobs to earn money to buy interesting things at local yard sales. I would sneak them into our attic and take them apart.

After months of devious disassembly my mother went to the attic looking for her spare toaster. What she found was a graveyard of appliances, televisions, smoke detectors, bicycle parts, and microwaves. The toaster she was looking for was scattered in pieces because the springs inside were perfect for my paper airplane launcher.”

Fast forward to his career now, Thomas believes that, “To engineer with impact is to have a strong effect on the people around you. It is working with the highest quality of standards by involving yourself in the best, often not the easiest, solutions. It means going above and beyond the “status quo”.

To engineer with Impact is to set yourself apart from the crowd while maintaining the best quality and personal standards. When you engineer with impact those around you can see your motivation, dedication, and ultimately, dependability.”

 

Mel Butcher

Mel Butcher is a Senior Management Consultant at a global consulting firm, Arcadis. Mel is an advocate for the power of strategic networking and enjoys using social media, such as LinkedIn, to keep up with colleagues, learn about current developments in industries of interest, and to share resources for growing as an engineer and leader. Mel shares information regularly on resources for cultivating leadership and communication skills.

Mel’s work includes helping large industrial clients achieve their sustainability and conservation targets. Recently, she was selected as talent for the UNLEASH Innovation Lab in Denmark, where she worked on solutions for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Due to her enthusiasm for the environmental realm, Mel enjoys sharing opportunities and insights that are relevant to engineers working in water, EHS, Sustainability, and civil specialty areas, as well as opportunities for young professionals to get involved in such initiatives. In addition, she is highly active in promoting the accomplishments of women in engineering and science fields; she has conducted numerous podcast interviews to showcase such women and their amazing career accomplishments.

Why I follow Mel

Focused on making a difference in her space, Mel is a shining example of how to use social media to make an impact.  I love following her career journey, including special projects like the UNLEASH Innovation Lab.

What does Engineer With Impact mean to Mel?

In Mel’s own words, “To me, Engineering with Impact means going beyond the framework of practically applying the principles of science and technology. Impact happens when we raise our heads, look up from our desks, and expand our sphere of influence to help those around us with openness and respect.

That could mean helping in your community, helping in a community less fortunate than your own, or taking the time to teach or mentor a fellow engineer that would like to grow in your area of experience.  We each make an impact everyday – good, bad or neutral. I believe if you start with clear, positive intentions, this will guide your actions toward positive impact…

I am lucky to meet a variety of different people in this line of work, whether it’s colleagues in different offices or clients at conferences. LinkedIn is an excellent tool for maintaining connectivity.  It’s also a great tool for finding career advice from thought leaders, and also for sharing resources that could help others in your industry or specialty area.”

 

Lucas Marino

Lucas posts content that provides substantive value to the people in his network. He believes that insightful and inspiring content related to leadership, engineering, and project management provides engineers with that value, and are key elements to a successful engineering career.

Why I follow Lucas

Lucas offers great perspective with engineering leadership.  Having led a team of engineers and technicians, he is able to offer real-world experience and insights with how engineers can improve and be even more effective in their roles.

He believes that if you work hard to become a proficient engineer, an adept project manager, and a respected leader, you’ll go far in your professional life!

“Let’s face it, the folks that excel in these areas are normally best suited to produce results in an organization. They understand all aspects of running a team of professionals in pursuit of excellence all while combating the complexities that large engineering projects inherently possess.”

What does Engineer With Impact mean to Lucas?

“I became an engineer because it runs in the family, I was fascinated with powerful engines and the vehicles they serve, and I perceived engineering as the ultimate combination of art and science. As a child I was enamored with the rhythmic patterns and functions of the world around me.

Eventually, I pursued a career as a Coast Guard naval engineer where I was able to apply my love of engineering to military ships. If you want to discover how awesome integrated systems can be, qualify as an engineer on a ship. You get to see a myriad of engineering disciplines work in unison on a platform large enough to house a small town.

That’s where I learned how to “Engineer with Impact”. You translate engineering into operational success on a ship by performing maintenance, designing solutions to equipment issues, coordinating logistics, and grooming your plant to perform at its best. As Engineer Officer of a ship, I led a department of 38 engineers and technicians which became the professional highlight of my career.

By pouring my energy into successful relationships with my crew, I ensured the men and women of my department fell in love with engineering while ensuring the ship never missed a homeland security mission. My investment in my engineers was the best way for me to “Engineer with Impact”!”

 

Heather Eason

Heather is an engineer and business owner.  In addition to articles, she loves to post quotes.  Sometimes they are inspirational, informative, or funny.  Recently, she began posting about her journey to entrepreneurship in starting Select Power Systems.

“When I decided to start my own engineering firm, I knew how to execute projects, but I had no idea where to start with the business.  I figure if I have questions, that others behind me will have questions too. I’m proud to start a woman owned business in a STEM career field.  I hope to inspire others to join me.”

 Why I follow Heather

Heather has the heart of a teacher – always mentoring, advising, and helping young engineers. Through her blog, www.LeanedOn.com, she shares stories, lessons learned, and recommendations on how engineers can lean on the career ladder and climb.

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Heather?

In Heather’s words, “What does it mean to “Engineer with Impact”? I could write an entire article just on that topic. It is so important to me that my company is based on the motto “Power to Make a Difference” because engineers live in the communities in which they work. We want to have a positive impact on our communities. How do we do that?

Wow! There are so many ways.

First, at Select Power Systems every employee will be given 8 hours of community volunteering time. Each employee will be able to pick and choose the non-profit they help while being fully compensated for their time. Their efforts will improve their communities in a variety of ways.

Second, reliable power is necessary for modern life. Our effort strengthens the grid, helping to keep the lights on. We also allow for faster restoration after natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. This directly affects the quality of life of the people affected by such events.

Finally, we have the chance to affect diversity in a big way. There is no better opportunity to change the lives of women and minorities than to support them in obtaining a secure, well-paying job. That not only changes the lives of the employee, but their family, and their community. That’s power to make a difference. I would love to hear how you and others are using your power to make a difference by posting #powertomakeadifference on social media.”

 

Matt Haag

Matt’s posts are intended to either a) help others or b) start thought-provoking conversations. His posts often come from questions he ask himself or lessons he’s learned.

“I’m not an expert in anything, so I try to write content that gets people talking with each other. My goal is always to help connect people with each other to get the help they need, particularly around the subjects of work, school, family life, personal and professional growth.”

Matt also started a site, Coach Brokerage, that is a non-profit entity and exists to assist professionals advance and find success in their careers.

 Why I follow Matt

Genuine. Humble. Authentic.  Thought-provoking. These are all things that come to mind as characteristics of Matt and his posts.

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Matt?

From Matt, “I’m active on LinkedIn because I believe everyone deserves an outlet to connect with other professionals. I’ve been fortunate to work with organizations that value knowledge sharing among peers but I realize this isn’t the norm in every organization. LinkedIn allows us the opportunity to connect and engage with people from different socioeconomic and vocational backgrounds.

I became an engineer because I’ve always been interested in understanding how “things” worked, as I’ve gotten further in my career, I’ve realized what I’m most interested in are people. An Engineer with Impact is someone who uses their engineering talents to help people, because that’s what’s most important”

 

Nehemiah J. Mabry

Nehemiah primarily shares inspiring ideas and experiences he’s had within the STEM community. As an engineer, educator, and entrepreneur, he takes substantial pride in being able to ignite a fire within students and young professionals alike.

His company, STEMedia was formed for this purpose, and therefore he shares many of the projects he’s involved in through it.

He also posts about many interesting developments in the structural engineering and composite material industries.

 Why I follow Nehemiah

Passion and creativity exude from Nehemiah!  His focus is on empowering and engaging students and professionals in STEM careers, which he does through creative and powerful messaging. One post that really caught my attention was “Communicating the Enthusiasm and Impact of Engineering Using Spoken Word Poetry”.

 What does Engineer With Impact mean to Nehemiah?

Here’s what Nehemiah had to say!

“I became an engineer because I recognized it as a way to use my strengths in math and science to benefit society. There is a wonderful satisfaction that comes from solving problems and producing results in areas that makes life easier for others. Imagining something and then working to eventually bring that idea to life is perpetually empowering.

This is also why I am on LinkedIn – to connect and inspire. I find that I am able to connect with countless of like-minded individuals and mutually work towards goals of outreach and positive impact in the world. That is what I believe is means to ‘Engineer with Impact’.”

 

Bonus – Kate Williamson

Despite her background in chemistry and experience working in a product development engineering role, Kate is not technically a degreed engineer.  However, as a certified professional resume writer (CPRW), resume specialist in engineering and science (CRS+ES), and REACH social branding analyst, I just had to include her on this list for engineers to follow!

 Why I follow Kate

Kate enjoys writing content that covers the resume writing spectrum and how to manage your professional and business brand using the power of LinkedIn.  Her posts are packed with actionable advice for engineering job-seekers. My favorite is her post, “Why Most Science & Engineering Resumes Don’t Work: 5 Ways to Fix It!”

She also writes about personal development, specifically in sharing her ongoing journey in learning how to embrace vulnerability so that she can better help people worldwide to see the best in themselves and uncover their unique value, credibility, and expertise.

What does Engineer With Impact mean to Kate?

Kate believes that relationships and collaboration are critical to being an “Engineer with Impact”.

“I chose to study chemistry for a few reasons:

1. To satisfy my natural curiosity in making life’s mysteries a little less…mysterious, and explain how things work.
2. To learn how to be objective, reason, solve problems, and make informed decisions.
3. To better understand current events (which I’m a huge fan of), especially news surrounding the petroleum industry, product recalls, pollution, the environment, and technology advances.

I believe that relationships with the client are the key to “engineering with impact” because no one achieves anything alone. Drawing on my experiences working as a Product Development Engineer abroad, where I would occasionally travel to customer sites to troubleshoot issues with our product on the manufacturing lines, customers were much more receptive when concerns on both sides were openly discussed. This approach typically disarmed the customers’ and enabled us to all work out procedures that addressed anticipated problems while yielding more productive relationships predicated on trust and commitment. As engineers, we tend to focus a lot on the technical issues but building strong relationships with different people on the customer side is a critical tool for business success.”

Amazing engineers, right?  

Who are other engineers that you love to follow on LinkedIn?