Category:Professional Development

In keeping with the purpose of Theta Tau, each chapter is expected to pursue a regular program of professional development. The type of professional development event or activity may vary greatly depending on the interests, need, and availability to the chapter. Refer to the 1995 Professional Development Manual for more detailed information. Some common types of PD events are:

The topics included, or at least their manner of development, should be professional in character and may be technical. Lean on university resources for many of the non-technical presentation examples noted above. Those who work in the career or student resources department of your college or university would be pleased to receive an invitation from your chapter to make presentation. It is good to publicize PD events and activities throughout the engineering student body as a means of generating interest in our professional engineering fraternity even if held outside normal recruitment periods.
 * Resume writing workshop
 * Job Interview Skills Seminar
 * Dress for Success presentation
 * Dining Etiquette
 * Parliamentary Procedure Seminar
 * Financial/Credit Management for Students and Young Professionals
 * Plant/Industrial Tour
 * Co-op presentation (based on a member’s recent job experience)
 * Lab/Project presentation(based on a student’s current project)
 * Fundamentals of Engineering (FE exam) preparation

Format and nature of topics should be varied throughout the school year. An opportunity should be provided for general discussion and/or questions during part of the event. Leaders for the activity might be Theta Tau alumni, student members, engineering faculty members, non-engineering faculty members, engineers or other professional persons (perhaps members of other professional fraternities) from the community, company interviewers (occasionally), members of the State Board of Engineering Examiners, NSPE officers, et al.

Some recommended sources of material either for selected programs or for series of coordinated programs are the ABET booklets A Professional Guide for Young Engineers by Brother William E. Wickenden, Delta '04. Document each professional development event, and attendance/participation by each member, for purposes of the Annual Report (Semesterly|Quarterly). Also, take photographs of the event for submission with the Annual Report and for Awards.