Attributes of an Engineer
“Engineering problems are under-defined, there are many solutions, good, bad and indifferent. The art is to
arrive at a good solution. This is a creative activity, involving imagination, intuition and deliberate choice.”
-Ove Arup, Danish British engineer and founder of Arup Group Limited
Industrial, chemical, software, civil, electrical, and mechanical are all words that come before the
title of engineer. Each of these professions do very different things in order to change the way we
live. Collectively, they work to make our daily personal and professional lives more comfortable,
safer, and easier to navigate. There are several personality traits that most engineers share, among
them are curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, effective communication, and a collaborative spirit.
1.Insatiable Curiosity
Engineers want to know how things work. They also want to
make things better, more efficient, and more effective. They
are the driving force behind innovations in a vast range of
industries, but everything starts with that curiosity of figuring
out how and why.
2. Continuously Seeks to Improve
In most fields of engineering, best practices, technologies,
and the requirements of customers change fast. As a result,
engineers need to be adaptable, but it is not enough to be
open to change. You also need to constantly work to improve
and enhance your skillset through ongoing professional
development. This can be through formal training and
development programmes, but it doesn’t have to be. It is also
important that you explore areas of engineering that interest
you personally.
3. Creativity and Innovation
Many engineering problems and projects require a high
degree of creativity and innovation. The work we are
involved in here at SL Controls is a good example.
We operate at the cutting edge of Industry 4.0 technologies,
delivering systems integration and automation solutions for
our clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and
technologies industries. While we use technologies that are
readily available, our solutions are almost always unique
because of the types of projects we undertake. As a result,
they require innovative thinking and creativity to develop.
4. Problem Solving
You know how the saying goes: if it were easy, everyone
would be doing it. Engineers regularly encounter problems
that must be overcome and solved. Successful engineers
have good problem-solving skills that help them in these
situations.
5. Good Soft Skills Including
Communication & Leadership
Improving your technical skills is important, but don’t forget
soft skills as they are important too. This includes
communication skills, presentation skills, leadership skills,
and more. Successful engineers have these skills and
continuously work to improve them.
6. Team Player
Most engineering projects, particularly in our industry at SL
Controls, involve working in teams. Therefore, being a good
team player is an essential component of being a successful
engineer.
7. Mathematical and Analytical
Abilities Plus Logical Thinking
This point is probably the most obvious engineering
characteristic on this list, but it is still worth highlighting.
Being a good engineer means being a logical thinker and
having excellent analytical and mathematical abilities.
8. Attention to Detail
In engineering, beauty is often found in the details. It is
where value is added to projects, errors are discovered
before they become a problem, and the best innovations are
found. It’s not surprising, then, that successful engineers pay
attention to the details.
9. Embrace Change
Nothing stands still in engineering, so it’s important to be
open to change. Just because something has been done a
particular way for years doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.
Successful engineers embrace new technologies, processes,
and ways of thinking.
10. Optimistic
Engineers face challenges – it’s part and parcel of the job.
Those challenges could be a complex problem that appears
to be completely resistant to a solution, or an issue with a
client that is difficult to fix. Remaining optimistic in the face
of these challenges helps considerably.