What can GOLD do for me?

The author is the coordinator of GOLD (Graduate of the Last Decade) activities for the IEEE's Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society. To those who received your first professional degree in the last ten years - Welcome! There is no special action on your part needed to become a GOLD member - you are a GOLD member by virtue of having received your first professional degree (B.S., BSc, etc.) in the last ten years. How can we GOLD members help each other? (1) Find and attend meetings of your AESS section (or start one yourself!); (2) Check the AESS website regularly for the society's latest news,; (3)Keep aware of continuing education opportunities, and pass them around; and (4) join our Facebook group! Search for IEEE Aerospace & Electronic Systems Society. We are here to help each other during the most difficult phase of our careers. Unlike many of our engineering colleagues - indeed, like most of our peers - we face an environment where most of our coworkers are well past the 10-year mark since the award of their first professional degree, and by the time we reach that midlestone many of them will have left the workforce. It is up to us to network among ourselves, set up mentoring opportunities, and continually educate ourselves for the challenges that the next few years will bring.