CAREER GUIDANCE SERIES

FRESH BLOOD

Published on January 1, 2024

Engineering Work

Engineering Work

This blogpost was inspired by someone who wrote to me requesting for

advice. The person just finished their degree and are getting ready for the
world of work.

Welcome to the field of engineering.

 The engineering field is diverse, and there is no boilerplate/template

that one can follow and automatically become a good
technician/technologist/engineer.

However, there are a lot of things that you can do to make yourself have
all those desirable qualities and stand out from the crowd.

Basic Skills that you will need at this stage:

1. Listening

When starting out your career, you have a lot of theoretical information
and a little practical experience. In the industry, what is valued are
practical solutions to problems – not endless theories. It is therefore
imperative that you learn how to be a good listener. After all, you know
very little.
A random quote I found from the internet reads as follows “You were born
with two ears and one mouth for a good reason” I find this to contain a lot
of wisdom.

2. Writing things down

Be the persion who is told stuff once, and you remember it forever. You
will be surprised how often supervisors have to repeat the same stuff to
people under their jurisdiction. It is very unpleasant. They don’t tell you,
but they don’t like it.

3. Master Execution

In the world of work, formal or informal, you are going to find someone
who you shall work for.

That person is going to have tasks that they are going to give you.

Let me tell you one secret. Day to day activities don’t only include making
practical use of the theoretical concepts you learnt from your higher
education institutions. We also have seemingly trivial tasks to be done.
Many of them.

Let’s have an example:

Office filing system – Online and Offline System.

Somebody has to keep the office filing system up-to-date.

Someone has to keep track of all the files to be printed for storage, and
templates/forms to be printed for use (as you know, when you want to use
the printer is always when the printer either runs out of ink, has a paper
jam or someother random thing – always print the documentbefore you
NEED to use it)

Someone has to keep the digital filing system up to date. All that technical
documentation (manuals, schematics, office admin files, etc) needs to be
properly organized.

Be the one who does the trivial tasks thoroughly. Be the one who is the
master of execution.

This makes you useful, because all those trivial tasks that were supposed
to be done by your supervisor now have someone responsible. As a
supervisor, I can tell you that having your workload reduced by just 1%
makes a difference. Be that difference.

When a project comes along, your supervisor will surely select you. You
make their life 1% better. They will be willing to invest their time and
effort teaching you everything about the project, sharing all the technical
documentation and assisting where possible.

4. Research

Engineering is all about solving problems.

In the process of solving problems, you shall come across stuff you don’t
know. It could be a program written in a PLC programming language you
don’t fully understand. It could be a schematic diagram with seemingly
cryptic symbols. It could be a communication protocol you have never
imagined existed. It could be anything.
You need to have good research skills. Not understanding what something
is, or how it works is not a problem. The challenge comes when you know
that you don’t know and you do nothing about it. You are not valuable if
you don’t offer solutions to problems.

There are several resources available on the internet that you shall use in
the research process to solve your problems. I must warn you. There is a
lot of misinformation.

How can you tell the stuff that is legit from the rubbish?

Schematic Diagrams Example: When evaluating schematic diagrams or

technical illustrations, apply logical reasoning to determine their
authenticity:

Logical Flow: Examine the diagram’s logical flow and connections. Ensure
that it follows established principles and doesn’t contain inconsistencies.

Common Sense: Trust your common sense. If a circuit or design appears

overly complex for its intended purpose, it might be a red flag.

Feedback from colleagues: Seek feedback from your more experienced

colleagues in your field. They can help you identify flaws or errors in a
diagram.

For instance, if you come across a schematic diagram that shows a circuit
that contradicts basic electrical principles, like connecting components in
a way that would lead to a short circuit, it’s a clear indication that the
information is unreliable (and dangerous!).

If your information source consistently gives bad and/or incorrect

information, then it may be time to move on.

Here Is an excerpt from the Bible (Matthew 7:17-18):

“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”

To help you out, here are just a few websites I will encourage you to use:

www.fluke.com

www.megger.com

https://www.ia.omron.com/support/guide/index.html

YouTube

Jim Pytel –
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKz0jOzv6nN4RlkA6H35rqQ

Feel free to add more websites to your digital resources workshop.

Read Schematic Diagrams

You will not believe this. There are very many people who cannot read
schematic diagrams. I’m not talking about complicated diagrams or
anything. I’m talking about very simple diagrams that an apprentice can
easily draw in his sleep.

You cannot consider yourself to be a technical person if you cannot read

diagrams.

Verily verily, I say unto you. If you cannot read diagrams you are just as
good as someone who is dead.
Make sure you understand the diagrams that are prevalent in your field.
For example If you are in the Electrical & Instrumentation field, and you
can’t read & interpret electrical diagrams then you better work on it NOW.

Time & The Importance of Writing Things Down

There is a time for everything. When you have less than 3 years of
experience, the #1 thing that you must prioritise is productive time spent
at work.

Be the employee that is #1 to arrive at work and is among the last to

leave. Be prepared to endure long hours of work and build up that mental
resilience. It is quite common to have to work from the morning and finish
late at night.

In some cases due to constraints in the system/process, you may be

forced to start work at night. Yep. You heard that right. You can start work
at 9pm and finish at 4am the next day. This isn’t easy, but with time you
will get used to it – that is, if you want to. That’s where mental resilience
comes up.

Writing things Down:

Do research on work that you conduct. Know that principle of operation of

that thing YOU were working on today.

Know the relevant standards (BS EN /ANSI /IEC), and know how these
standards are applicable to the work you are doing.

Writing things down is crucial for your professional development and

future job interviews. Here is why:
Recording Your Achievements: When you’re in the workforce, you’ll
accomplish various tasks and projects. Writing down what you’ve
achieved and the specific role you played is essential. It serves as a
record of your accomplishments and contributions.

Memory Retention: Human memory is fallible, and over time, details

about your past projects can become hazy. Writing them down helps
preserve the specifics, ensuring you can recall and articulate your
experiences accurately during interviews.

Impress Potential Employers: During interviews, employers are keen to

understand your capabilities and contributions. By having a well-
documented list of your achievements, you can confidently and precisely
communicate your role in various projects.

The worrying trend

I have noticed, with great concern, that people tend to focus on the
credentials that the person they are assigned to has. They, ideally want to
be personally mentored by a Charterd Engineer with a Doctrate from
Harvard.

All the great technicians, technologists, and engineers I know were taught
by old madhalas. These people have been doing the same work, the same
way for the last 30 years. They are incredibly skilled and they do excellent
work. Their advice is incredibly valuable, and by listening to them, you will
see yourself avoid mistakes that your peers make, and become the
person who everyone goes to for help.

During the learning process, learn as much as possible, from everyone,

especially those old madhalas. I strongly encourage you to do learn from
them. And don’t forget to give them the respect they deserve.
Safety

The industry is not a safe place to be. Everything out there is waiting to
kill you. Touch a bare electrical conductor with wet hands? You’re gone.
Work at heights without a safety belt? You’re gone. The list goes on. We
don’t want you to die. Get to understand the safety protocols and make
sure you adhere to them. Do all those pre-task risk assessments. Don’t do
work without a permit, no matter how ‘urgent’ the work seems to be. If
your safety system isn’t the best, and you don’t have established
procedures, then I encourage you to use your common sense while you do
your research on how best the safety system(s) can be improved. It is the
simple stuff that people do NOT DO that gets them injured.

Conclusion

You have done well. It is time to take the next step and enter the world of
work. May wisdom guide you. I wish you all the best!

This article was updated on January 1, 2024

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Tags:Career Guidance SeriesSelf Development

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