{"id":8810,"date":"2025-06-16T10:52:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T14:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/?p=8810"},"modified":"2026-03-26T08:23:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T12:23:54","slug":"the-skills-that-set-you-apart-advice-early-career-engineers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/the-skills-that-set-you-apart-advice-early-career-engineers\/","title":{"rendered":"The skills that set you apart: Candid advice from Siemens professionals for early-career engineers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Making the leap from college to career can be daunting. The unfamiliar tools, the shift from classroom projects to cross-functional collaboration \u2014 it\u2019s a lot to navigate. That&#8217;s why we spoke with two Siemens professionals to get their advice on what they wish more students and recent graduates understood about today&#8217;s engineering workplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hani Qaqish, now leading NX X Manufacturing, began as an intern and quickly advanced to oversee the transformation of NX CAM into a SaaS offering. Trevor Bengtsson, with a decade of experience in automotive pre-sales, partners with major automotive manufacturers and their supply chains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, they offer insights to help engineering students step confidently into their next chapter.\u200b&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Looking to get advice from the people making hiring decisions? <a href=\"https:\/\/webinars.sw.siemens.com\/en-US\/ama-how-engineering-students-early-career-stand-out-employers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Watch our on-demand AMA<\/a> with an engineering hiring manager and recruiter to get expert advice on crafting standout resumes, acing interviews and more.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Starting with &#8216;why&#8217; matters<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As a student, you might often wonder: &#8220;When will I ever use this?&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hani emphasizes the importance of understanding the &#8216;why&#8217; behind your work. &#8220;In college, I did a lot of work without always understanding why,&#8221; he said. \u201cBut in the industry, the &#8216;why&#8217; matters. It helps connect your work to the product, the user and the business.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trevor agrees: &#8220;It\u2019s okay to ask why. In fact, it\u2019s necessary. That kind of thinking drives innovation.&#8221;\u200b&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To grasp the &#8216;why,&#8217; get hands-on, said Trevor. Build something. Test an idea. Shadow a professional. Attend a plant tour. Real-world experience bridges the gap between theory and practice.\u200b&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Two Siemens veterans share advice for early-career engineers\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3n1SLFiGxcc?list=PLA0582AC445986591\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Three skills that set you apart: Communication, collaboration and credentials<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Engineering thrives on teamwork. &#8220;There\u2019s a huge collaborative force behind every product,&#8221; Trevor explained. \u201cIn the automotive industry, it takes everyone from chipmakers to trim suppliers to turn a concept into reality. If you can collaborate well and take input from different specialists, you\u2019re setting yourself up for success.&#8221;\u200b&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start honing these skills now with classmates, project partners and professors. Clear communication, pitching ideas, seeking help and providing feedback are all vital.\u200b&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Equally important is being prepared. Familiarity with tools like CAD software, PLM systems or cloud platforms can give you an edge. &#8220;The <a href=\"https:\/\/training.plm.automation.siemens.com\/buy\/certs.cfm?pID=TR18010_______NX___11.0___2500\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NX Design certification<\/a> helped me land my Siemens internship,&#8221; Hani shared. &#8220;Being familiar with industry tools shows initiative and helps you hit the ground running.&#8221;\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn the same tools used by industry, students can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sw.siemens.com\/en-US\/academic\/engineering-student-resources\/engineering-student-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download our software<\/a> for free as well as go through industry-grade software training on <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/a-step-by-step-students-guide-to-accessing-free-software-training-on-the-siemens-xcelerator-academy\/\">Siemens Xcelerator Academy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another emerging skill is understanding data. Hani noted that as engineering teams and product complexity grow, managing data is as crucial as managing parts. Knowing how data flows across systems and tools like Teamcenter can make you stand out.\u200b&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, it&#8217;s not just about ticking boxes. Hani advises choosing certifications that count. &#8220;Look for credentials reviewed by professors, industry professionals and peers. The right ones add real value.&#8221;\u200b&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hani&#8217;s pro tip? Find a study buddy or form a certification group. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Doing it together makes it more fun and keeps you accountable.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong><strong><em>Siemens\u2019 new Expedite \u2014 Skills for Industry microcredential is designed to help students gain and verify key skills for today&#8217;s engineering workplaces.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coursera.org\/specializations\/expedite-skills-for-industry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learners can enroll now<\/a>\u00a0on Coursera or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sw.siemens.com\/en-US\/academic\/expedite-microcredential\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">visit our website<\/a>\u00a0to learn more.<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Confidence starts with curiosity<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Everyone feels imposter syndrome,&#8221; Hani said. &#8220;But your ability to learn is more important than what you know today. Keep showing up, keep learning and the job will come.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Curiosity combats self-doubt. When you&#8217;re new to the workforce, asking questions and staying open helps build confidence. You don\u2019t need all the answers, just the willingness to grow.\u200b&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trevor added: &#8220;Companies are looking for fresh perspectives and that includes yours. Don\u2019t wait until you feel &#8216;ready&#8217; to jump in. Collaborate, ask questions and share your ideas. That\u2019s how real growth happens.&#8221;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Making the leap from college to career can be daunting. That&#8217;s why we spoke with two Siemens professionals to get their advice for recent graduates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106400,"featured_media":8815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spanish_translation":"","french_translation":"","german_translation":"","italian_translation":"","polish_translation":"","japanese_translation":"","chinese_translation":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"industry":[],"product":[],"coauthors":[1954],"class_list":["post-8810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-19-145714.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106400"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8810"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8810\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9371,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8810\/revisions\/9371"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8810"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=8810"},{"taxonomy":"product","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product?post=8810"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/academic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}