Besides all the math and science and many other skills an engineer needs to have, I believe communication, writing, and presentation have got to be the most important. As engineers we will always be fighting for our ideas. We will defend our projects even after they fail. In order to persuade some people, we need to have the ability to use these three skills.
Starting with communication, this skill is used day-to-day regardless of what you do. As an engineer, you simply cannot be a silent mute at work. Nobody will know you, nobody will respect you, and most of all nobody will follow you. Each of us needs to be able to converse with others in a comfortable manner to build relationships, which goes along with the Networking blog we just wrote about. Communication is important in conveying our ideas on a personal level as opposed to writing an explanation. Proper communication allows a more in-depth, and detailed description of whatever is needed to be explained.
Writing will always be important in the work place, but it is even more important in the field of engineering. There are many types of writing that people use in their careers, and individuals must know the tone and structure of the writing that they are undertaking. For example, on a regular day, a person may write a note to somebody, send an e-mail, or write a proposal. Of the several types of writing, technical writing is important. From The Entrepreneurial Engineer, we learned that technical writing is most important when writing to busy business people. Time is money and many business people don’t have much to spare. When engineers write a proposal, it is important to get to the key facts in a very plain, understandable language.
Finally, presentation is critical to be a successful engineer. When I think of presentation, I think of one word: CHARISMA. When making a presentation, you can’t be one-dimensional and monotonous. A presenter needs to be able to capture and hold the attention of his or her crowd. Being an extroverted person is important in being an engineer. We need to step out from our stereotype; we aren’t lame stiffs! Engineers need to be able to walk into a presentation with a chest-full of confidence if they want to walk out with a project.
All in all, these skills are important in an engineer’s career. We must have these skills if we want to sell our ideas, and make the big bucks. We are not just calculators; we are also people. These skills are the areas in which we get to turn our swag on to the rest of the world.
