What Are The Most Important Skills for Engineers? (Advice from an Engineering Manager)
Do you want to know factors companies and hiring managers actually use to identify the top performing engineers?
Believe it or not - technical skills and high IQ have very little to do with your success as an engineer.
How do I know this?
Because I'm an engineering manager, mentor and career coach - and I help engineers like you build all the skills you need to elevate your life personally and professionally.
It's why I started this YouTube channel - which teaches you all the “non-engineering skills” you need for taking control of creating your own opportunities - so that you can put your career on an accelerated path!
And this article explains what factors engineering managers use to identify and hire top performing engineers.
Why Technical Skills Aren’t Enough Anymore
When my career began, most engineering department roles were still highly specialized.
Everyone had specific responsibilities, skill requirements, and expectations with little variance in the day to day.
It was the perfect environment for the “lone wolf” engineer - my term for engineers who prefer working independently and being left alone.
The lone wolf thrived in this environment. As long as they had the technical skills to deliver, most engineering managers were willing to look past their flaws - like poor communication, short-tempered, impatience, lack of professionalism, etc.
But those days are long gone…
Over the last 15 years, the value of specialists and gurus in engineering has been completely negated by technology breakthroughs in design software and automation technology.
The result has been a complete redefining of roles, responsibilities. and expectations in every field of engineering - and it's still rapidly evolving.
And this is only the beginning…
How the 4th Industrial Revolution Will Impact Engineering Roles
We're barely approaching the fourth industrial revolution - and it will be an unprecedented era!
ChatGPT doesn't even scratch the surface of a whole new wave of upcoming technology breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, automation, 3D printing, 5g, and quantum computing - just to name a few.
These innovations will completely change the way jobs are carried out - but that's a topic for another day.
But here’s something else to be aware of…
Even the “old school” companies are starting to catch up - these are companies who resisted incorporating automation technology into their operations over the last few decades.
Why is this important?
Because the more specialized and rule-based your engineering role is - the easier it will be for companies to automate your job!
In other words…
Technical Skills Aren't Enough - Even for Engineers!
If you want to be a successful engineer, technical skills are no longer enough.
As an engineering manager, I grew a 5 person department into 40 people - and in the process, I conducted more interviews and reviewed more resumes than I can even remember.
Technical skills and high IQ were never the deciding factors I used to identify the top performing engineers.
Honestly, technical skills should be a given for an engineer. They're basically a prerequisite to qualify for the interview.
If you had the degree and relevant experience, it told me that you're capable of thinking like an engineer - as well as learning my company's methods, systems, and processes.
So in regards to your technical skills - that's really all an engineering manager needs to know, and I could measure all that up pretty quickly from reviewing your resume.
Here’s What Engineering Managers Are Looking For
That’s why I would use the interview to learn about the candidate’s soft skills - how they communicated, presented themself, and explained their background.
I was always searching for insight and cues on how they collaborated, networked, and gained popularity with colleagues, too.
I paid close attention to the things you can't measure - like their ability to fit in on the team, communicate with diplomacy & tact, and maintain poise under pressure - because engineering is a stressful job.
The most important thing I’d look for was their ability to take constructive criticism - and learn from it - versus politely nodding their head and giving me lip service.
The Most Successful Engineers Have These Skills!
As an engineer, you’re probably going to think this next part sounds unfair…
But the plain and simple truth is we live in a social world - and the most successful engineers have the ability to:
Lead cross-functional teams
Influence people in various departments and gain buy-in
Use soft skills to create effective solutions and resolve product issues quickly
For today’s engineer - these skills are invaluable, and way more effective than any technical skill!
If you already have these skills - then you’re in great shape!
But if you’re recognizing the need to begin improving these skills, here’s a great place to start…
