Are you meant to be an Engineer?

Engineering is one of the most coveted professions in the country and engineers from all disciplines are associated with dynamism and ardor. While taking up the FE exam is the first step towards building a strong career in engineering, successful engineers go on to take the PE exam after gaining sufficient experience. Post the success in PE exam, there is no looking back.

However, while acquired knowledge and skills push an engineer to the epitome of success, there are certain inherent qualities that are truly characteristic of a "born engineer". Let us explore them in detail.

Strong problem-solving skills

Successful engineering is all about battling through myriad challenges to find the right solution. In fact this is the reason why every PE review course is designed to test the problem solving ability of an individual. While all resources may be at hand (like the multiple reference books made available in the open book PE exam), sifting through the maze to obtain the most innovative solution can be a real challenge.

Attention to detail

While grasping the big picture is relatively easier, it takes a shrewd professional to dig deeper into the minutest details of a project.

Ability for analysis

Irrespective of the discipline of engineering, one common skill that sets apart a good engineer is his ability to handle numbers. From creating building designs to developing software, engineers need analytical skills backed by a strong love for numbers. If crunching numbers and interpreting them seems like a headache, engineering may not be the right choice for the long run.

A fair sense of inquisitiveness

Those little kids who cannot stop with their long series of "what-ifs" and "whys" can probably make good engineers. Reasoning lies at the heart of engineering and again this is why the professional engineer exam strongly emphasizes the application-oriented questions that test the reasoning ability of the individual.

Commendable project management skills

Once the engineer emerges successfully out of the PE exam, his career starts to take some interesting twists and turns. Bigger projects and better opportunities come along and the engineer must be well-equipped to handle them. This is where the engineer's project management skills come in handy. Students with a flair for handling responsibility can certainly turn into leading engineers in the long run.

When individuals possessing these traits meet the right learning and resources, engineers are rightly empowered.