How to create a successful career in reliability engineering

How does one become a reliability engineer? How does one create a career based on reliability engineering? In my experience I have seen several paths and have observed a number of key traits that make for a successful career. This paper examines the traits of successful reliability professionals from different industries. The combination of those profiles and my experience with coaching dozens as they built their careers has provided a unique insight into the key traits that separate a rewarding from unfulfilling career in reliability engineering. This paper explores the seven key traits - talented, professional, networked, positive, valuable, studiousness, and mentoring ability - that lead to a successful career. At the end of a career of work, it may be satisfactory to look back at a record of accomplishment, of milestones, and of friends. We are information workers. When we work in a professional way that conveys our talents in reliability engineering with our peers, the entire organization benefits. We can look back and view camaraderie with colleagues from many fields and across many industries. With a bit or common sense, honest work, and consistent drive we can build a career from our very first encounter with reliability engineering.