ISE alumnus publishes book to guide future engineers

Auburn University Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) alumnus John Rogers has released a new book, “A Career Worth Engineering,” aimed at helping engineering students transition into the professional world.

Co-authored with Rogers’ former coworker Sean Maciag, the book compiles insights and lessons learned throughout their combined careers to mentor the next generation of engineers.

Rogers, who earned his master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from Auburn in 2019 and a graduate certificate in occupational safety and ergonomics, completed the program online while working full time. 

“It was a wonderful experience,” said Rogers about his time as an ISE student. “I felt like my instructors were available, and I never felt like I was treated differently. The Auburn community was always available.”

Rogers’ connection to Auburn runs deep.

“I’ve always loved Auburn,” he said. “My dad was an Auburn grad and studied electrical engineering. When I learned that Auburn offered a program that I was interested in, I was sold.”

Now serving as deputy project manager of engineering for General Dynamics Mission Systems in Orlando, Florida, Rogers credits Auburn’s program for equipping him with practical tools he continues to use daily.

“I had some really good exposure to topics that I hadn’t had in my undergraduate career,” he said. “It was really beneficial to get into some more advanced statistics, forecasting techniques and risk management techniques. I continue to use all of that in my normal day-to-day as a project manager in engineering.”

The idea for “A Career Worth Engineering” was born during a casual lunch between Rogers and Maciag, as they reflected on the challenges they faced early in their careers.

“We were just having lunch one day and talking about all the lessons that we had to learn that, looking back, we wish we knew when we were coming out of school,” Rogers explained. “We realized there was a recurring theme in questions that we both got asked from the younger engineers we’ve mentored over the years.”

The book, which took more than a year to complete, focuses on accelerating the transition from student to professional.

“The overarching theme is that the book is for accelerating your transition from a student to an engineer,” Rogers said. “Two engineers wrote down everything that they wish they had known as they looked to optimize transitioning from engineering student to engineering professional.”

Since the book’s release in October, the authors, who jokingly set out to sell more than just a copy to each of their moms, have broader ambitions for the project. They envision expanding into podcasts, webinars and subsequent books to cover specific topics like resume revisions and industry-specific advice. Rogers and Maciag were recently featured on Aaron Moncur’s “Being an Engineer” podcast to discuss the book and their experiences.

Currently pursuing a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Mississippi State University, Rogers continues to mentor young engineers and share his knowledge. His advice to students is simple yet impactful: “Don’t be afraid to be wrong because you learn so much more from being wrong than having to be right all the time.”

“A Career Worth Engineering” is available now on Amazon.com.