You can be busy, productive, and highly praised—and still stall your career. In this episode, Steve and Jake Maxey break down one of the most dangerous traps ambitious engineers fall into: prioritizing speed and execution over real learning. This conversation is about depth, focus, and long-term leverage—not theory, but practical, tactical advice you can apply immediately. If you want to grow into leadership, avoid burnout, and build skills that actually compound, this episode is required listening.

Key Topics Covered

• Why being “the fastest engineer in the room” can quietly limit your ceiling
• The difference between knowing the what/how and truly understanding the why
• How engineers become execution machines—and why companies reward it (at your expense)
• Aggressive patience: working hard without rushing past learning
• How shallow repetition kills long-term leverage and career mobility
• Using modern tools (including AI) to extract deeper lessons from daily work
• Why consistent small wins matter more than occasional big projects
• The hidden cost of distractions masquerading as “balance”
• How focus—not talent—separates impactful engineers from overlooked ones

Actionable Steps

• Slow down just enough to extract lessons from every task you complete
• Ask “why does this matter?” before moving on to the next assignment
• Build a habit of documenting insights, not just deliverables
• Use AI or senior engineers to peel back fundamentals in real time
• Identify where your current work does not apply—and why
• Reduce distractions that don’t serve your long-term goals
• Optimize for skill transfer, not short-term praise
• Track consistency of execution, not just outcomes
• Choose depth in one area before chasing the next shiny task

Who This Episode Is For

• Early-career engineers who feel busy but unsure they’re growing
• High-performing ICs who get praised but overlooked for bigger opportunities
• Engineers on the edge of burnout from constant execution
• Professionals who want leadership leverage, not just technical output
• Anyone tired of feeling productive without feeling fulfilled

Why It Matters

Efficiency alone won’t build a meaningful career. Engineers who focus only on speed become replaceable, while engineers who understand systems, context, and impact become leaders. Depth creates visibility. Focus builds leverage. And learning the why is what allows you to carry value anywhere—across roles, companies, and industries.

Where to Listen

Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

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If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

Most engineers stall their careers not because they lack talent—but because they stay trapped inside the task in front of them. In this episode, Steve Maxey and Jake Maxey (Owner & Principal Engineer at NLS Engineering) break down why being useful is the real force multiplier in engineering careers. This is not theory—practical, tactical advice on how usefulness compounds faster than credentials, experience, or job titles, and why engineers who think beyond their scope earn more trust, better work, and faster growth.

Key Topics Covered
• What “being useful” actually means in real engineering work—not buzzwords
• Why executing tasks alone keeps you invisible and replaceable
• How usefulness outperforms raw technical expertise over time
• The difference between completing work and compounding value
• Why scope blindness quietly kills career momentum
• How to use inversion thinking to instantly increase your impact
• Serving beyond expectations—and without immediate reward
• Why the most trusted engineers get the hardest, highest-visibility work
• How usefulness creates leverage across teams, projects, and leadership

Actionable Steps
• Ask “what problem does this task solve?” before starting any assignment
• Identify the pain point around the task, not just inside it
• Offer to remove friction for teammates before being asked
• Audit the work you’re doing for cost, risk, and downstream impact
• Bring alternatives, not just execution
• Learn why decisions were made—not just what was decided
• Volunteer for ambiguity instead of avoiding it
• Spend extra time where usefulness compounds, not where effort looks busy
• Stop waiting for permission to think like an owner

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers doing “good work” but not getting noticed
• Early-career engineers who want to accelerate trust and responsibility
• Burned-out engineers stuck in task execution mode
• High-performing ICs who feel capped without authority
• Engineers who want leadership impact without formal titles

Why It Matters
Promotions don’t come from doing more tasks—they come from increasing leverage. Usefulness connects energy, visibility, and execution into a compounding system. When you consistently make others more effective, you stop chasing opportunity—and opportunity starts finding you.

Where to Listen
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

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If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

Young engineers keep asking how to get ahead, stand out, or break into the industry. This episode gives them the real playbook.

Jake joins Dillon Mitchell on The Construction Corner Podcast to break down how he built his engineering career from zero connections, zero clarity, and zero direction—into a high-impact operator and now founder of NLS Engineering.
Not theory—practical, tactical advice grounded in real experience.

Key Topics Covered

• Why “showing up” is the unfair advantage most young engineers ignore
• The mindset shift that separates high performers from complainers
• How Jake broke into AEC with no experience and turned it into a career
• Why usefulness—not talent—is the currency that moves careers forward
• The real reason career fairs, events, and meetups change everything
• Tactical ways to become the person decision-makers want to hire
• How to think clearly about anxiety, action, and preparation
• Why engineering firms win or lose based on talent, visibility, and courage
• The hidden value of mentorship programs like ACE for early-career engineers
• How relationships—not résumés—create long-term career momentum

Actionable Steps

• Go to every industry event you can—opportunity is a volume game
• Build relationships before you “need” them
• Write a real cover letter focused on how you’ll help the firm win
• Send video intros when applying—stand out immediately
• Learn to call people instead of hiding behind email
• Practice being useful: ask clients, contractors, and maintainers what matters
• Treat anxiety as a signal to prepare, not freeze
• Study the business side of engineering—understand money, timelines, risk
• Take responsibility first, blame never
• Show up consistently for months—not days—and let the compounding work

Who This Episode Is For

• Early-career engineers who feel invisible or overlooked
• Students who want a roadmap to get hired quickly
• Engineers stuck in “wait and see” mode who need to take ownership
• High-performers who want more responsibility and impact
• Anyone frustrated with the job market and ready to try a better strategy

Why It Matters

Your career is built on visibility, usefulness, and action—not wishful thinking.
Engineers who consistently show up, contribute, and build relationships win faster, avoid burnout, and create opportunities most people never see. This episode gives you the mindset and tactics to do exactly that.

Where to Listen

Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

Share

If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.