Monday, 27 October 2008
Good Advice on 'Stuff You Don't Learn in Engineering School'
I recently read a book by Carl Selinger called "Stuff You Don’t Learn in Engineering School: Skills for Success in the Real World." Selinger, an American Society of Civil Engineers member, wrote the book in 2004. In his preface he indicates that he has written the book to "give young engineers a practical down-to-earth guide to the real world they are in, a very different place than the strenuous boot camp engineering school."
Selinger organizes the book well, identifying at the onset some critical skills that engineers need, primarily writing, speaking and listening. He provides some good basic down-to-earth examples of how to be a better writer. These include using clear, simple language, minimizing the use of acronyms, reading more, having peers review your writing, and a device that I sometimes use, just pretend you are talking to someone and write that. Selinger drives home the point by quoting an engineering manager from DMJM Harris: "Writing and public speaking are the two most important soft skills that engineers need to succeed in the field today."
Selinger's other chapters focus on decision making, feedback, priority setting, running effective meetings, teamwork, negotiations, creativity, developing leadership skills, dealing with stress, and one that I find to be very important, ethics in the workplace. He includes as an appendix a survey of various managers on non-technical skills, various concerns with the real world and other issues. The book also includes a list of professional engineering societies, emphasizing the importance of such associations in career development and providing solid reasons for membership.
"Stuff You Don't Learn in Engineering School" is a fairly quick read, one that I recommend to all engineers, both young and old. You can read some excerpts here at the publisher's Web site.