Engineering jobs come with a variety of heavy responsibilities from high-tech programming to working with specialized equipment. In addition to those duties, engineers will also need to be able to successfully manage day-to-day routines and navigate complex professional situations. For those responsibilities, both permanent and temporary employees will need a wide variety of soft skills.
Soft skills are a mix of organization and interpersonal skills that keep a workplace harmonious and productive. These skills involve communication, creativity, abstract thinking and deductive reasoning. Most importantly, they are the foundation for success in almost every position. With strong soft skills, you will quickly be viewed as an irreplaceable employee, one with leadership skills that could propel you up the chain of command. Five soft skills every engineer should have include:
#5 Adaptability
The only thing constant in today’s workforce is change. Technology changes, strategies change and the economy changes. Engineers must be able to handle all of these changes both professionally and personally. These employees will need to be able to think on their feet, assessing problems and developing solutions in brief periods of time.
#4 Collaboration
Whether you call it teamwork or synergy, cooperation with different departments is an essential soft skill for engineers. You are the one everyone will look to when they need to understand the mechanics of a situation or a process. It takes more than one person to boost a company’s success. You will need to understand how to work with marketing departments, sales teams, drafters and administrative assistants.
#3 Big Picture Thinking
By the nature of their careers, engineers need to be detail oriented. However, the most successful engineers are also able to look at the big picture and make decisions that affect both the present moment and the future. Good engineers can solve immediate problems; great engineers can predict them before they happen.
#2 Organization
Does your work area look like a tornado just roared through? Think about the valuable time you waste looking for files or programs – how much does it all add up to? Being more organized helps engineers become more efficient and effective at their jobs.
#1 Communication
Professionalism in speaking and writing will make sure everyone is on the same page. When you are part of a team that works consistently well together, productivity soars, profits hike and job satisfaction booms. In other words, responsible communication is at the center of every soft skill.
Some soft skills come more naturally than others. However, once engineers become aware of the skills they need to improve, it’s only a matter of practice and patience. Are you looking for new career opportunities and want to set yourself apart from other traditional engineering job seekers? Contact Pascoe Workforce Solutions. We understand the high value of reliable employees with strong soft skills and have matched talented candidates in both temporary settings and permanent positions.