Jeff Perry
FOUNDER, MORE THAN ENGINEERING
CAREER DEVELOPMENT EXPERT and author of The Intentional Engineer, Jeff Perry left his corporate job to start doing the work he loved. On a mission to change lives, Perry is helping fellow engineers and tech professionals find employment, grow their careers, transform their mindsets, and develop their leadership skills.
But going from zero to a sustainable business was a significant challenge, particularly during the time of the pandemic. Perry shared that there were times he considered throwing in the towel to get a job in 2020, but ultimately decided his coaching was the path he was meant to walk—it was just another layer of challenge to face.
“I had some real rose covered glasses on, thinking that hey—I’ll just hang out my shingle and start doing this work, just throw some stuff down on social media and the clients will start coming,” Perry admitted. “Well, the truth is, that’s not exactly how it works.”
“We need to develop engineers in terms of who they are—beyond just a technical acumen and skills—their ability to be discerning, communicative, make good decisions, and lead and mentor others.”
Jeff Perry
His website now boasts a plethora of content and resources, including podcasts, articles, guides, and his most sought out transformation programs: “The Engineering Career Accelerator,” for individuals looking to upgrade and find more purpose-driven intention in their lives and careers, and “Connection with Intention,” for teams and leaders to unlock their potential collectively.
For Perry, helping people overcome significant challenges and reach their goals is a huge honor and a privilege. He shared that some people have been unemployed and are trying to get back into the industry, while for others, it’s health and mindset issues—anxiety, depression, or overcoming harassment in the workplace, and trying to reinvigorate their careers with trust and confidence.
Perry’s approach is to overcome those challenges by addressing the way they think about what’s possible for them. Helping them take actions that are uncomfortable but are going to lead them to success, finding clarity on what’s most important to them, and aligning their careers and their lives—“to be a part of that success and growth for them is just really a pleasure in the work that I get to do,” Perry said. “Instead of engineering products and services, I now engineer and develop people.”
To hear a complete discussion with Perry, listen to his interview with ASME CEO Tom Costabile on this episode of ASME's Unconventional Engineering.
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