Have you ever wondered what skills employers value most in engineering hires? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In February of 2024, the Journal of Engineering Education <\/em>published a study<\/a> titled \u201cWhat engineering employers want: An analysis of technical and professional skills in engineering job advertisements.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n This study reviewed 26,103 job advertisements to find the most in-demand technical and professional skills (also known as durable or soft skills). <\/p>\n\n\n\n While technical expertise is important, the findings reveal that durable skills can be the deciding factor in hiring decisions, especially for entry-level positions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the three most crucial soft skills (also known as durable skills) identified in the study for accelerating your engineering career and maximizing your earning potential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Problem-solving emerged as the most frequently mentioned professional skill, appearing in more than half of the 26,103 job advertisements from the study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But what does “problem-solving” mean in practice? <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the job, engineers must be able to perform: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most effective problem-solvers in engineering aren’t necessarily those who know the most technical details. Instead, they’re the ones who can systematically break down complex problems, gather relevant data, analyze patterns and test hypotheses methodically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Importantly, they also know how to leverage their team’s expertise by asking smart, targeted questions and demonstrate the resilience to keep pushing forward when faced with obstacles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re an engineering student, you may be surprised to learn that studies show engineers spend over 50%<\/a> of their working hours on communication activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This includes: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What’s particularly noteworthy is that communication in engineering isn’t limited to formal presentations or technical reports. A significant portion involves informal interactions \u2014 those crucial one-on-one conversations with colleagues, small group discussions and daily team interactions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jess Naab, global head of university relations and talent programs at Siemens Digital Industries Software, shares more about why communication and adaptability are so important:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n#1: Complex problem-solving skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#2 Broad communication<\/strong> skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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