A more valuable and productive engineer 5

[pennpiper]

This question came to me via private e-mail. I thought it and my answer were worth sharing with others. I invite anyone with ideas to add their comments.

What do I need to know?
The question: I am a Student and will graduate in a few months with my Degree in “X” Engineering. I would like to know, in addition to my studies, what do I need to know that will make me a better, more valuable and more productive Engineer? Also do I need to know CAD and which CAD system should I know?

My answer:

Besides the straight curriculum leading to your engineering degree here are some things every new Engineer (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Structural or other) needs to know in order to succeed in the real world after graduation.

- You need to know about Codes, Standards, Specifications and other documents that have jurisdiction on projects. You do not need to memorize them, but you need to know that they exist, where there is a copy and which one takes precedence over another?

- You need to know the Language and Terminology of the other disciplines. Every segment of the engineering profession has its own jargon and you need to know and understand what is meant when you or others are talking, reading or writing. Don't use "Text Talk".

- You need to know who the other engineering and design groups are on a project. What do they do? What do you need from them and what do they need from you?

- You need to be able to read Drawings. This includes all project drawings, client drawings, vendor drawings and other disciplines drawings.

- You need to have an understanding of the basic economics of a project. What may be the "Cheapest" may not be the most "Economical".

- You need to recognize that any project you work on will to be built, will be operated and will need to be maintained. Learn some basics about "Construction", "Operations" and "Maintenance".

- You need to learn the basics of Procurement. This means you need to know how to identify and establish quantity requirements of discrete items (a pump) or bulk items (pipe, valves, conduit, anchor bolts, etc). You need to understand the process of requesting quotes, selecting qualified bids, developing purchase orders, inspection criteria/activities, expediting activities and traffic (the process, manner and route) for getting the items to the jobsite.

- You need to learn about “Contracts”. Specifically the types of Contracts and the types of Sub-Contractors associated with major EPCM (Engineering, Procurement & Construction Management) Projects. This includes the development of the Contract’s Scope of Work and all of the required instructions and documentation defining the work. You also need to understand that a “Contracts Manager” stands between you and the sub-contractor. All communication to and from you and the Sub-Contractor is through the Contracts Manager.

- You need to learn some basics about the "politics" of the corporate culture. Remember if you plan to swim with sharks you want to be able to tell when they are well fed and happy vs. when they are hungry and mean.

- You asked if you would need to know how to use a CAD system and which CAD system is recommended. That is a valid question but there is no single “right” answer. You may have used one in your studies and lets call that one Brand “A”. The first company you get employed by may be using Brand “A” and they may not. You may be hired by a company that is currently using Brand “B” which you will need to learn. Six months to a year later the company may switch to Brand “C” and you will need to learn that system. How many systems are there? Listed below are just a few of the most popular CAD and Analysis systems in use. Take your pick.
While we are on the subject of CAD systems, it is important to understand that CAD systems were originally developed over forty years ago. Over these past forty years the number of systems that have disappeared is equal to (or greater) than the number currently in use.
Don’t get tied too tight to only one CAD system. CAD is a “Tool” just like a hammer. Lots of people make hammers. It’s the person behind the hammer that counts.

CAD & Engineering Analysis Products (Partial List)
Autodesk (20 products)
Bentley (MicroStation - 21 products)
Bentley: STAAD products
CADRE Analytic: CADRE
CATIA products
CadWorkz
CEI: Advanced Pressure Vessel
Intergraph: COADE, Inc.: CAESAR II
Intergraph 3D PDS (Smart Plant)
Microsoft (Office Products)
AVEVA: PDMS (20 products)
Rebis products
SolidWorks 3D CAD products
SolidWorks: Simulation/FEA (COSMOS)

Gone are the following (Partial List) :

CALMA
ComputerVision
Coopervision



prognosis: Lead or Lag

 

[MiketheEngineer]

My $.02 - and peen hit the major ones

Once you know one CADD system - the rest are all about the same. Just different keys doing different things. I can easily use 2 or 3 of them!!

Most important - God gave you two ears and one mouth - use them proportionality!!

 

[JohnRBaker]

You missed a couple:

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/nx/index.shtml

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/velocity/solidedge/index.shtml

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[coloeng]

You need to know that coming out of college, you probably only know about 20% of what you need to know. Don't be afraid to ask questions. We've all been in your shoes.

 

[truckandbus]

Do more than you are paid to do, and eventually you will be paid more.

Everyone you meet in business has some value. Treat everyone with respect as chances are someday you will need them to get you out of a jam.

 

[IRstuff]

Do more than you are paid to do, but don't do such much that you'll get taken advantage of.

TTFN
faq731-376

 

[spongebob007]

I don't think I have even heard of half of the CAD and analysis programs on the list and there are a couple that I thought have been gone for a few years.

I would add: Pro/Engineer (Wildfire), NX, ANSYS, Patran, FEMAP, ABAQUS, NASTRAN (although it's really only a solver and not a "program per-se)

 

[macmet]

Need to learn to deal with criticism and understand that you will make mistakes. It is alright, no one is perfect and makes every decision right the first time.

And IRStuff's point... I'm still bitter about that with my first job.

 

[77JQX]

Most students gravitate to engineering because they're good at math. But an engineer is more a professional writer than a professional mathemetician. You'll need to be able to communicate effectively in your proposals, specifications, reports, and bid documents. How you write affects the liability you expose yourself to and they way your work gets implemented. Carefully read the work of those you work for, and understand why they word things the way they do.

 

[fel3]

77JQX…

The engineering professors at Fresno State told us numerous times that we would end up doing more writing than math and sooner rather than later (well, except for one old guy who barely spoke English and nobody knew what he said). Of course, none of us believed this tale of doom. After all, our omniscient 20-year-old wisdom told us that engineering was applied math and applied science. There's no writing involved in that, for goodness sakes.

Ah, the joys of naivete. For me, the switch-over happened about 18 months after graduation and, except for some anomalous periods here and there, I still spend more time writing than doing math.

==========
"Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?"
--Winston S. Churchill

 

[MiketheEngineer]

You will spend an inordinate amount of time writng reports, filling out expesne sheets, payroll forms, employee evaluations, etc.... You name it - they will find it for you.

But the true engineering part is truly fun and fulfilling!!

 

[kingnero]

You need to know that coming out of college, you probably only know about 20% of what you need to know. Don't be afraid to ask questions. We've all been in your shoes.

20% is very optimistic

I learned about as much (of practical value) in my first year after graduating, as I did in 5 years of engineering classes.
After that, there hasn't been a year gone by that I didn't follow any schools/seminar/evening classes to keep up my professional career, and I know many like that.
The few who don't, are also the ones that're still saying that not-moving air isolate as well (instead of using PU isolation in houses)...

 

[moltenmetal]

Pieces of advice for a newly minted engineering grad:

1) Everyone has something to teach you, if you have the humility to be taught and the wisdom to judge sense from nonsense. Ask questions: you will be surprised how much of use you can learn merely by expressing interest in what someone else does for a living and taking the time to listen.

2) Everyone makes mistakes, unless they do nothing. Don't let the fear of making mistakes paralyze you. Smart people learn from the mistakes of others rather than learning only from their own mistakes. Truly excellent engineers are distinguished by how they deal with mistakes, rather than merely by how few mistakes they make.

3) Learn to deal with uncertainty because it is a fact of life in what we do. Parameterize uncertainty- do sensitivity analysis to understand how important it is, or isn't. Bring things back to what you know. When you get a chance, calilbrate your own commonsense.

4) Do not guess when you can calculate, and do not calculate when you can measure.

5) Relax and have fun! Sure there's some drudgery in anything people do for a living rather than as entertainment, but there's fun stuff in there too if you're in the right job. If what you're doing is consistently devoid of fun for you, you're probably going to suck at it anyway. Life's too short: find something you're passionate about and do that instead.

6) Don't work for free. Know what you're worth and expect to be paid a fraction of that which doesn't make you feel like sh*t. If you're not getting it in salary and benefits, you should be getting a piece of the action: profit sharing, shares, options or SOMETHING. Otherwise, you're devaluing not only yourself, but my services as well.

Best of luck to you- you'll need some.

 

[sibeen]

Learn from, and appreciate advice, from the tradesmen in your chosen discipline.

 

[msquared48]

You need to learn to listen...to everyone involved in the project, including yourself.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[Sparweb]

You need to care most of all.
If you don't care, you certainly won't be the best you can be. You won't be motivated to do all the other things that will make you better (like all the good suggestions above).
If you do care, then you will also care to listen, and to learn, to try, to relate to the others around you, and to stick through the difficult stuff that inevitably happens.
Good idea to give your student protétegé a voice, even it he/she is too shy to bring it up directly.

STF