Do you want to be an engineer when you grow up? Do you want to build and fix things when you grow up? If so, there is a good chance that you want to be a future engineer. There are plenty of opportunities for students who want to be engineers when they grow up. The National STEM Honor Society is here to provide you with tips to be a future engineer.
1. Build communication skills
It is important to build these skills to form relationships with others and to understand their ideas. Engineers need to be able to communicate their ideas with others and to relate with others when working on projects. This is especially important for when the project is being discussed with the supervisor or another lead on the project as engineers need to be able to articulate their ideas. Be aware of your audience, whether it’s a board of executives or a crowd at a convention.
2. Participate in different challenges for engineers
There are multiple organizations and companies that are putting their resources into developing young students who are interested in engineering. An organization called Future Engineers has different projects to challenge students, especially if they are interested in engineering. Students can enter these competitions and other events that different organizations or companies may have to challenge themselves and to see if they have any other opportunities like a scholarship or possibly an internship.
3. Take up another area of study along with engineering
Students should not only focus on engineering, but have a focus in another area as well. In any field when a person moves up, there are more responsibilities and not all of them may be related to the field of engineering that they are in. Students who have experience in another field will be able to manage and understand other fields if they become a supervisor or have to lead a project that is in collaboration with another field as the student would be a little familiar with the field.
4. Gain some experience in the field of engineering that you want
Students should try to find opportunities to volunteer or intern in the field of engineering that they are interested in. This will allow the students to gain some experience and to see if they like this field of engineering. This will also open doors for students later on when they are looking for jobs after they get their degree.
5. Know your material
The material that students have to know for engineering is important. Students should be able to learn their material to such a level that they should be able to at least recognize when they are on the job. Students should not just learn the material, but also be able to build on that knowledge from the material by learning other things that can be used in their engineering field.
6. Ask questions
There are no dumb questions, especially when trying to find a solution. Do not get discouraged that everyone else may be ahead in an area. It is also good to ask questions, especially if you are curious about something or if you are naturally curious about something.
Written By: Lee Metoyer
