Hardware Podcasts

124 - 5 Steps to Becoming a Phenom Quality Pro with Andy Robertson

Let's Combinate · 21 Feb 2024 · 31m

What this episode covers

Andy Robertson, founder of CQE Academy, outlines five steps for quality engineers to achieve professional excellence, emphasizing the critical roles of mentorship, tackling challenging assignments, and lifelong learning. He argues that soft skills like communication and emotional intelligence are often underrated yet essential for leadership, and suggests that quality professionals should occasionally leave their specific domain to gain broader business perspective. The discussion also highlights the value of professional certifications, such as the CQE, and specific books for career development.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
CQE Academy
Also
CQE, Toastmasters, The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, To Sell as Human

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Global Medical Device Podcast · 53m

    #421: Mastering MedTech Influence: The Power of Communication in Quality

    Lesley Worthington, an executive coach with a background in psychology, law, and quality/regulatory affairs, discusses how quality professionals can build influence and a culture of quality through better communication. She argues that technical correctness often fails to drive buy-in because it ignores the listener's need to feel understood, advocating for active listening, paraphrasing, and plain language over jargon. Worthington highlights the limitations of traditional corporate training, which focuses on information rather than habit change, and suggests that personalized coaching or reflective writing (like 'morning pages') helps professionals overcome burnout and imposter syndrome by clarifying their thinking and building psychological safety.

    Leadership, teams & cultureCareers & education
    8 chapters

  • Being an Engineer · 58m

    S7E9 Brad & Aaron | Top 5 Takeaways After Interviewing Over 300 Engineers

    Aaron Moncur and Brad Hirayama of Pipeline Design & Engineering distill five key career lessons from over 300 podcast interviews, emphasizing that understanding business context and developing soft skills are more critical for advancement than pure technical proficiency. They discuss the transformative role of mentors and coaches in providing hard feedback, the importance of doing high-impact work rather than just logging hours, and the necessity of establishing repeatable processes and checklists. The episode concludes by previewing a mini-series on accelerating engineering speed, highlighting tactics like hacking prototypes from off-the-shelf products and building psychological safety within teams.

    Careers & educationLeadership, teams & culture
    7 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 43m

    21: The Tent Is Flat and Everyone Is Wet

    Rob Mitchell, recently transitioned from systems engineering to management at Lightro, discusses his unconventional career path from technician to manager at companies like LeapFrog, Palm, and Validus. He details the challenges of writing performance reviews for senior engineers and the difficulty of shifting from peer to boss, particularly with former colleagues like Phil King. Mitchell emphasizes the importance of product management, hard deadlines in consumer hardware, and leveraging professional networks over formal degrees for career advancement.

    Leadership, teams & cultureCareers & education
    6 chapters

  • Being an Engineer · 45m

    Zach White | How to be the CEO of Your Own Career

    Zach White, founder and CEO of Oasis of Courage (OACO) and host of The Happy Engineer Podcast, discusses how engineers can take ownership of their professional development. He argues that career challenges are fundamentally 'people problems' and advises listeners to move from passive consumption of knowledge to 'massive action' by taking full responsibility for their outcomes. White provides specific frameworks for gaining clarity on career goals through contrast and experimentation, and offers tactical advice on how to approach mentors with generosity and authenticity.

    Careers & educationLeadership, teams & culture
    8 chapters

  • Being an Engineer · 1h 05m

    Mark Herschberg | Essential Skills for Success They Didn’t Teach in College

    Mark Herschberg, author of 'The Career Toolkit' and creator of the Brainbump app, discusses essential non-technical skills for engineers, such as career planning, communication, and navigating corporate politics. He argues that while technical expertise is vital, soft skills like leadership and negotiation provide a higher return on investment for career growth. Herschberg also shares insights on managing personal brand, the difference between leadership and authority, and how to effectively interview candidates.

    Careers & educationLeadership, teams & culture
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Let's Combinate. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.