Six career lessons – Part 6: Embrace precision

Whether you’re staring at a blinking cursor trying to write your first resume, practising your podium skills or facing a career change, this year’s Arch Award recipients have insights on navigating uncertainty, embracing opportunity and forging one’s own path. That’s why, leading up to the start of Alumni All-Access on Oct. 15, we’re sharing two career lessons every week that draw on the experiences, challenges and unexpected moments that helped shape their journeys. 

Lesson 6: Embrace precision 

Have you ever spent extra time checking your work only to wonder if the effort really mattered? 

For International Career Achievement Award recipient Dr. Yang Gao, PhD'93, the answer is probably a resounding yes. 

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Gao has become one of the world's leading experts in satellite navigation technology. His research has helped improve how people and industries around the world navigate, measure and make decisions, often down to astonishing levels of accuracy. 

That pursuit of precision began long before the awards, recognition and international reputation followed. 

As an engineer, Gao learned that small details can have enormous consequences. A tiny calculation error, a missed variable or an inaccurate measurement can mean the difference between success and failure. 

But precision, in Gao's view, isn't just about numbers. 

In a rapidly changing field shaped by advances in areas like artificial intelligence, he credits curiosity, discipline and a willingness to keep learning as equally important parts of the equation. 

"The students are a central part of my career," Gao says. "They bring new ideas and new perspectives." 

It's a mindset that has helped him remain at the forefront of his field while also shaping the next generation of engineers. 

So, the next time you're faced with a complex challenge, remember that precision isn't about chasing perfection. It's about discerning which details matter, learning as you go and approaching your work with the curiosity and discipline to continually improve. 

After all, the best engineers, researchers and leaders never stop being students themselves.