• Question: how good are you at engineering

    Asked by jack14 to Paige, Martin, Joanne, Emily, Amit on 14 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Martin Wallace

      Martin Wallace answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      I don’t know everything about engineering, but then I don’t think anyone does. The important thing is knowing how to start solving a problem. University teaches two things: the knowledge in the subject; and the methods to solve a problem. I would say the problem solving skills are the most important.
      The most important thing I learned at university and school was not what I know, but how to find out something I don’t.

    • Photo: Joanne Davies

      Joanne Davies answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      A very important part of engineering is being able to communicate effectively. I like to think I am very good that, but nobody’s perfect and there are always opportunities to learn new ways of doing things.

      As long as I can keep on learning new things, I can only get better and maybe one day, I will be very good!

    • Photo: Emily Bullen

      Emily Bullen answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      Pretty good in my specific job I’d like to think! =)

      It may sound like we all do really complicated jobs (or not…), but we’ve all been trained for what we do, both at uni and on the job.

      Completely agree with Martin though, it’s all about the problem solving and putting 2 and 2 together, not about whether you know everything.

    • Photo: Amit Pujari

      Amit Pujari answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Hi Jack14, sorry for the late reply.

      It is a difficult question to answer but I am glad that you have asked it! I really liked it.

      There is no set scale to measure person’s engineering skills. You can get grades in your (engineering) degree. But once you finish your degree and start working, it is all about experience. Learning by experience, as you go along. Finding out what you dont know, they try to understand, learn and possibly practice it.

    • Photo: Paige Brown

      Paige Brown answered on 17 Mar 2012:

      Hmmm… I don’t want to say that I am good at engineering… but I do want to say that I love it! I think you become good at what you do, no matter what you do, if you are passionate about it. I might not be terribly good yet at science communications, but I love it so much that I think I will become very good someday!

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