There are many qualities and skills a person needs to possess to become an effective engineer and have a successful career. Engineering is dynamic so it needs people who can work with other disciplines, and constantly adapt to new challenges.
Good technical skills are also definitely essential. In preparing for an engineering career, you should focus on developing a variety of skills, including:
Technical Competence: The focus is on possessing the necessary technical skills and ability to do your job. While an engineering education will provide the foundation of this knowledge, as technology continues to advance, you will be expected to keep learning throughout your career.
Communication Skills: To be an effective engineer you must have the ability to communicate both written and verbally. Focus on your writing skills, consider developing competence in a second language and also develop your public speaking skills. A good communicator has influence and most importantly, gets noticed.
Leadership Skills: Leadership is more than just the situation you are in, it is about action. An example where you will need leadership skills is during project management where you will need to plan, set priorities, delegate, make decisions and influence people. Join a civic, school, professional or church group as a volunteer to help you develop these skills.
Teamwork: To be an effective engineer you will need the ability to work in a team environment. Volunteer activities will also allow you to gain experience working in a team. Problem Solving: Your job as an engineer will be to provide answers and to do that you need the ability to think, look at issues, and come up with solutions. So good engineers must be able to think critically, analyze options, and create great solutions to problems they have not encountered before.
Summary: You do not need to master each of these qualities and skills to become an effective engineer. The successful engineer is well-rounded, with knowledge of key skills and the ability to apply them when needed. It will take work on your part, but the fun is in the learning and the reward is completing your tasks and seeing the impact your work has on society.
