Whether you are a fresh engineering
graduate or an experienced engineer, it's
difficult to land a promising job in this
field. Though having the latest technical
skills can increase your chances of getting
hired, you will need a combination of hard
and soft skills to ensure a successful
engineering career.
According to LinkedIn career expert Blair
Decembrele, 59% of US hiring managers
were struggling to find enough candidates
with soft skills such as communication and
critical thinking in 2016. "These traits
don’t necessarily show up in a job posting
but are essential for succeeding in the
workplace," says Decembrele.
The field of engineering is no exception to
this shifting trend. In other words, not
having a combination of technical as well
as soft skills will significantly reduce your
chances of having a distinguished
engineering career.
Here is a list of 6 tangible skills that are
always in demand for engineers.
1. Technical Know-How of the Core
Subject
A firm grasp over the fundamentals of
your core specialization is a must to
become a highly-successful engineer. You
must gain the technical knowledge
required for your job profile. For example,
if you are going to work in Relational
Database Management Systems (RDBMS),
the employer will expect you to be fluent
in computer languages, especially
Structured Query Language (SQL).
The two most common ways to show
potential employers that you have sound
knowledge of the core subject are through
certification and internship. You can take
certification exams, showcasing an
increasing level of proficiency in your
niche if you are an experienced engineer.
Usually, experienced engineers who have
completed certification courses to expand
their knowledge base are the most sought
after candidates for senior level positions.
On the other hand, a fresh engineering
graduate will benefit tremendously from an
internship with a reputed company.
Alternatively, you can also attend training
workshops conducted by the local
university, business or college. However,
this doesn't mean you should focus only
on developing technical skills relevant to
your specialization as having additional
technical skills will allow you to stand out
from your competitors.
2. Problem-Solving and Analytical
Thinking
Engineering work mostly comprises
complex systems, including software and
hardware. Therefore, as an aspiring
engineer, you must be fond of problem-
solving. In a nutshell, problem-solving
skills are the ability to assess a situation
precisely to arrive at a practical solution.
Analytical or critical thinking is the
foundation of developing strong problem-
solving skills.
Your problem-solving process will vary
depending on the complexity of the
situation at hand. However, the process
usually includes four major stages:
Defining the problem
Devising alternatives
Evaluating alternatives
Implementing the most viable
solutions
Usually, presenting a convincing argument
to the interviewers based on the
evaluation of a problem is adequate to
prove your problem-solving skills.
However, the assessment of these skills
depends mainly on your job profile. If
these skills are an integral part of your
work profile, you may have to perform a
real-time assessment during the interview.
Learn to be objective in problem-solving.
Don't let your opinions or that of anyone
else's cloud your assessment. Resist the
urge to jump to conclusions, instead
develop a habit to analyze the situation
carefully.
3. Willingness to Learn
The knowledge you have may not be
adequate to excel in everything that the
industry demands from an engineer, which
is why the willingness to learn is among
the best characteristics an engineer can
possess. According to a new survey by
staffing firm Accountemps, 30% of CFOs
polled said motivation to learn new skills
is necessary to get ahead. This was
followed by interpersonal skills (27%) and
ability to adapt easily to change (24%).
Demonstrating your enthusiasm to learn
new skills can earn you respect from your
peers as well as seniors. Here is how you
can fuel your desire to learn:
Getting an advanced degree or
certification is the best way to
demonstrate your desire to learn
new skills.
Alternatively, you can also join a
local industrial association or
organization to learn new skills.
You can also surround yourself
with industry experts and your
seniors to learn new skills from
them.
Be open to accepting advice as
well as criticism from your peers
and industry experts.
Most importantly, don't be afraid
of failure. Instead, look at your
failures as a way to acquire new
skills.
Willingness to learn plays a critical role in
developing the ability to innovate. As you
acquire new skills, you also expand your
ability to think out of the box, allowing you
to find cutting-edge solutions. In other
words, the moment you show your
willingness to learn, the whole world opens
up to you.
4. Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Interpersonal and communication skills are
closely related to each other.
Interpersonal skills are the ability to
communicate with your team members
and colleagues, while communication skills
refer to those that help in expressing your
thoughts and opinions to the target
audiences.
As an engineer, you are most likely to be a
part of a multi-disciplinary team. You may
also have to work with colleagues from all
over the globe. As a result, companies
retain top employees who can be a
valuable part of the team. However,
working in a global and multidisciplinary
team also means developing the ability to
handle multiple modes of communication
effectively.
You may also need to convey instructions
and opinions received from non-technical
members in a manner your technical team
members can understand. On the other
hand, you may also need to communicate
with non-technical customers and team
members conveying highly technical
information in a layman's language. So,
improving your communication and
interpersonal skills is a must for an
engineer. The following tips will help you:
Avoid showing negative body
language, particularly during a
direct conversation.
Develop the habit of listening as
good listening skills are crucial for
effective communication.
Avoid being aggressive or
defensive, be objective when
expressing your opinions.
Learn to appreciate your
colleagues and juniors, let your
team members know when they do
a good job.
5. Adaptability
As the tech industry is constantly evolving,
your company may have to make sudden
policy changes to keep up with the
changing market conditions. As a result,
companies are keenly interested in hiring
engineers who can adapt to challenging
and unexpected work situations. The
following strategies can be used to
maintain adaptability and flexibility:
Demonstrate a positive ‘can do’
attitude and a willingness to grasp
opportunities through your body
language.
Try to stay calm if something
changes or a problem occurs out of
the blue. You must not let your
emotions get the best of you during
such situations.
You should also show that you
can adjust your working style or
approach according to the demands
of a situation or emergency.
Be open to working with new
technologies, and different cultures
and people from across the globe.
Problem-solving skills will also
help you become adaptable. You
will frequently need to come up
with innovative solutions because
as an engineer, you will come
across several unpredictable
problems throughout your career.
6. Planning and Organizational Skills
As an engineer, you are more likely to
work on projects extending over a
considerable period of time. That's why
you will need excellent planning and
organizational skills. These skills are
particularly important for those who have
more supervisory or managerial roles to
play. Usually, most engineering projects
are divided into several different tasks
requiring you to plan each team member's
priorities and responsibilities well in
advance.
In addition to the planning skills specific
to your job profile, you will also need to
develop general organizational skills to
manage your daily duties through careful
planning, time management, and
prioritization. Strong planning and
organizational skills offer several benefits
including eliminating procrastination,
clutter, miscommunication, supply chain
issues, and inefficiency.
As a team leader, you must also know how
to coordinate your internal and external
resources to avoid potential delays,
particularly if your organization works with
freelancers or remotely-located team
members.
Set aside a specific time to plan
or review your daily tasks. For
example, some people may find it
easier to use the first 15 to 20
minutes of each day for daily
planning. However, others may
prefer to plan for tomorrow at the
end of each day.
You can use a "to do" list or a
planning app to keep track of your
scheduled tasks, deadlines, and
resources.
Estimate the time and effort
required to complete a task well in
advance. Make it a point to adjust
your priorities and approach
according to the changing
situations.
Make sure to identify the
potential problems you could
encounter in your project and
prepare contingency plans to avoid
delays.
Conclusion
Though globalization has opened several
new doors of opportunities for engineers, it
has also increased the competition in all
engineering sectors. This is why pursuing
your dream engineering career is getting
tougher every day. In fact, we live in a
world where having only superior technical
skills is no longer enough to land an
excellent job. Only the perfect combination
of soft and hard skills will set you apart
from your competitors. These in-demand
tangible skills will help you seek a thriving
career in the engineering sector.