This may be the understatement of the year: right now there is an incredible need for engineers. All skill sets and experience levels are in high demand from start ups to giant corporations, but that doesn’t mean that every engineer will be employed or successful.
In the thriving STEM fields, interpersonal skills are becoming increasingly important in career advancement. They are just as important as the technical skills, as they help create personal branding and a well-rounded network of professionals, opening opportunities and creating relationships with peers. Following are the five key interpersonal skills that engineers and other STEM professionals should develop for career success:
1. Communication
Engineers and other STEM professions place higher value on technical skills than communication. However, effective communication is equally as important. In order to succeed and be innovative in their position, they must be able to communicate their ideas.
2. Creativity
The technical skills to find and fix system issues is just as valuable as the creativity to find new ways to solve problems. People who continually push the envelope to find and develop new products, processes etc, get the recognition from peers and management.
3. Adaptability
Like creativity, the ability to continually push and change is invaluable. Challenges arise daily and as an employee and job seeker, you must be able to adapt, be creative, and communicate the issues to work towards a solution.
4. Collaboration
Product creation, service execution, and system innovation do not happen by one person. Steve Jobs may have been an incredible driving force behind Apple’s success, but there were countless engineers, developers, and other professionals working to create, market and sell their products. Collaborating in a team setting is not only necessary for a job seeker and employee, but is absolutely essential.
5. Leadership
We all know what a leader is, however becoming one takes thought. If you aspire to make a difference in your company/ city/ the world in any profession, leadership skills have to come into play. Developing these skills over time as you build relationships will help you achieve success beyond your career.
April 2, 2014 at 1:02 pm /
you make some great points here. As a communications coach, I find that engineers who are willing to develop skills such as those you discuss become more successful in all aspects of life. It takes dedication, persistence, and requires some accountability and support along the way.