1. Up-to-date technical knowledge
Technical knowledge and skills are the main skillset recruiters are looking for. It’s important to have the right educational background to set yourself on the right path, but it’s also important to show how far you’ve come since leaving education.
Stay at the top of your game by reading industry news, blogs and articles. Consider getting certified in new areas and technologies whenever relevant.
2. Communication
Although the bare bones of engineering often happen individually at a desk or computer, these projects always start and end with human discussion. It’s vital to be able to communicate and listen in order to ensure that the project is a success and any issues can be resolved quickly.
3. Leadership
Businesses want to know that you aren’t just there for a free ride. That when the going gets tough you are able to step up. Businesses want to hire people who want to be there and want to work their way up and add value to their organisation, leadership is a key quality in the modern world of engineering.
4. Interpersonal
Similarly to the last two skills, the ability to bring people together and influence, is of the utmost importance for the modern engineer. Collaboration and teamwork is a key part of many projects and the ability to build rapport in a team can guarantee the success or failure of many projects.
5. Critical reasoning
Using the knowledge you’ve acquired throughout education and your career (see skill 1) means that you should have the core understanding needed to see the wood from the trees. Being critical allows you to realise where the value is in a piece of work and evaluate which points are crucial.
6. Creativity
The ability to creatively solve problems is key in any profession, engineering is no different. When problems arise and the most obvious solution isn’t possible it’s crucial to be able to solve the task in front of you in whatever way you can.
7. Innovation
There will always be a demand to keep making things better, faster or stronger. The very nature of engineering means that engineers are the people who need to deliver this day-in-day-out. Having the desire to innovate and solve problems should be a key skill that engineers strive for.
8. Enthusiasm
If you want to work as an engineer, show how much you want it. Having the desire to get up and go is crucial. Showing enthusiasm is a great skill that will help accelerate you in your career.
9. Attention to Detail
Being an engineer, accuracy and precision are both vital attributes. In this industry, mistakes can be costly as even the smallest miscalculation can have profound effects. Failure to pay attention to the small stuff can result in huge consequences when it comes to incurring costs or even health and safety.
10. Resilience
Finally, resilience is a great skill in any walk of life. The nature of an engineer means that you can be on call 24 hours a day which can be tough. Even in jobs where you don’t find yourself on call they can be equally as demanding in other ways. It’s important to demonstrate that you won’t fall at the first hurdle and can keep going throughout tough times.
