Do I have what it takes to be an engineer? Have you ever wondered this? I’m pretty sure everyone who starts thinking they want to be an engineer, is then quickly bombarded with this intrusive, self doubting question.
This is a totally normal question. I want to reassure you that the only person that can answer that question is you. No teacher, guidance counselor, online quiz, or career aptitude test can tell you that you have what it takes to be an engineer.
Taking the first step and making the decision to purse a major in engineering, even though you may be intimidated, is the most basic skill you need in engineering, perseverance. Being confident in yourself to face fear, problem solve, and keep trying to find solutions, even when you do not have all of the answers, is a fundamental quality of an engineer.
Mike Newlin described this perfectly when he said, “Genius is perseverance in disguise.”
Adjectives everyone always jumps to when describing an engineer is smart or genius. But the truth is, it is a person’s perseverance that makes them a good engineer.
You could be the smartest person, but if you do not have the will to continue overcoming technical challenges, you will fail at engineering. On the other hand, you do not have to get perfect scores on your SATs, but if you have the drive and will to figure out a problem, you will make a great engineer.
My Struggle With This Question
Do I have what it takes to be an engineer is a question that has plagued me more than I like to remember. But there is one instance that stands out in particular, where I truly doubted I could be an engineer.
It was my junior year of college and I was taking Kinematics. The second week of the semester had started and I was already struggling in the course. I was attending the professor’s office hours for help on the homework.
During the session, I asked a question, which he condescendingly answered with this question, “Well have you ever taken apart a car engine?” As if this was a right of passage to becoming an engineer. I sheepishly answered, “No.”
Then, he went on to make his point about taking apart a car engine and how that somehow related back to the original question I had asked. However, I do not know what the answer was or really anything he said after asking that question. I was too stuck on how am I going to be an engineer if I am not taking car engines apart in my spare time?
Mechanical aptitude, or having an interest in machinery was always one of my weaknesses and something I had little to no interest in. This was something I was self conscious about because if I did not naturally want to take engines apart in my spare time or get excited about machinery, could I make it as an engineer?
The Turning Point
Well, not long after I dropped the course. It was causing me a lot of stress and it was not a required course for my degree. I had chosen to take it as an elective. After some self reflection, I thought about how well I was doing in other courses and how mechanical aptitude was just one aspect of engineering.
So instead of struggling in a course that I had no interest in, I decided to take a course that I had a lot of interest in and better align with my strength. The course that replaced Kinematics was Biomaterials.
Biomaterials is a course that assesses material properties found in the human body, such as bone and tissue. It also included how implants are selected and how the body responds to a foreign material being implanted.
For example, titanium is usually used as an implant for bone if you have a fracture because the elastic modulus is close to bone. This is important because you do not want the implant taking all of the stress away from the bone, because then this would cause the bone to atrophy. We need stresses on our bones so they continue to get strong and healthy.
Stainless steel on the other hand has a much, much higher modulus than bone, so it would take all of the stress away from the bone, resulting in atrophy. This was fascinating to me and I got an A in the class.
Concentrate On Your Strengths And Interests
Instead of deciding I shouldn’t be an engineer because I had never taken apart an engine or because Kinematics was really confusing to me, I decided to persevere and concentrate on my strengths and interests.
This focus on biomaterials stayed with me when applying for internships and my full time job. I knew that was where my strengths and passions aligned. Therefore, I only applied to jobs in the medical device field. I was able to land an internship in the medical device field, which then led to my full time job.
So what does all of this mean? The reason I am sharing this story with you is because you may be going through some self doubt like I did.
Engineering is hard! But, there are so many different engineering disciplines to choose from as a major and then there are even more jobs you can have as an engineer once you graduate.
It is totally normal to feel doubt and confusion at some point. That is why you should focus on the courses that align with your interests and strengths, instead of struggling through courses you have no interest in.
I would like to reassure you that if you truly want to be an engineer and you work at it, you will be great at it. The secret is you need to identify your unique skill set, harness it, and use it to help you become the best engineer that you can be.
Teams Are Made Up Of Diverse Skill Sets
The truth is, no one really wants all engineers to be the best in mechanical aptitude and just okay in all the other skills. If that was the case, who would lead teams?
Who would do the creative brainstorming?
Who would have attention to detail to make sure nothing is missed?
Who would give the presentations for the project?
Projects are made up of teams and the best teams are the ones with individuals who have all different skills sets. Therefore, do not get stuck on the skill that you think engineers must have to succeed. Instead, focus on your strengths and work to be the best at those. Yes, you should always look to improve and try to get better in areas you are lacking in. However, just as important is recognizing your strengths and how to utilize those to the best of your ability.
Skills Required For Engineering
To illustrate how many different skills are required in engineering, I have created a list of technical and soft skills. When people think of engineering skills, your mind automatically goes to the technical skills. However, soft skills are very important as well. The soft skills often differentiate an okay engineer from a great engineer. Soft skills are also referred to as interpersonal skills.
Below is a breakdown of technical skills and soft skills to show you all the different traits that make a good engineer. Technical skills are dependent on the job. The list below are examples of technical skills for a job you could get with a mechanical engineering degree. Soft skills are universal, so they would be applicable to any type of engineering you go into.
Technical Skills And Soft Skills
Technical Skills:
- Use of lab equipment
- Statistics
- Data analysis
- Analytical or CAD software (Minitab, SolidWorks, MATLAB, Excel)
- Part, Process, and Product design
- Root cause analysis
- Test method development
- Technical writing
- Ability to read and create technical drawings
- Ability to create specifications, BOMs (bill of materials), and drawings
- Analytical skills
- Mechanical Aptitude
- Job specific:
- Understanding of specific processes (i.e. extrusion, metal working, injection molding)
- Understanding of how specific products work (anything from medical device to cars)
- Certain types of analysis (i.e. structural, dynamic, fluid)
Soft Skills:
- Leadership
- Time management
- Ability to prioritize tasks and multitask
- Oral and written communication
- Attention to detail
- Organization
- Resourcefulness
- Decision making
- Negotiating
- Influence
- Problem solving
- Understanding the processes of the company to get things done
- Presentation skills
- Perseverance
- Attitude (enthusiasm, commitment, and motivation)
- Ability to work independently and with a team
- Ability to give and receive feedback
- Ability to justify and defend your logic
Want to print the skill set list above? Get your printable version of the list here!
Mechanical Aptitude Is Just One Of Many Skills That Make Up An Engineer
All engineers are not going to be great in every skill, therefore, what I lacked in mechanical aptitude I made up for in other skills.
Even though you may be doubting if you have what it takes to be an engineer, understand that being able to push yourself to overcome that challenge is your first step to becoming an engineer. Perseverance is one of the most important qualities of an engineer because in practice, you are constantly problem solving and overcoming technical challenges.
Most of the time you will not have all of the answers or know what path to take. That is why you need perseverance to keep going even when just starting is intimidating or after multiple attempts you still do not have a solution.
Recognizing your strengths and understanding how they align with your goal of becoming an engineer is also crucial. This will help you identify a major and choose your classes. Being aware of these strengths will then help you in getting a job as well.
Teams need individuals with diverse skill sets to be successful. So focus on your strengths when you are doubting yourself to help you through the challenging times. This will show that you do have what it takes to be an engineer!
What do you think your strengths are? Do they align with your interests? Did they help you choose your major or career? Let me know by leaving a comment below!