http://www.engineeringdaily.net/should-an-engineer-be-an-expert-in-one-thing-or-ok-good-at-everything/ Relevant News and Notes for Engineering Professionals Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:00:53 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.engineeringdaily.net/should-an-engineer-be-an-expert-in-one-thing-or-ok-good-at-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3068 Jay Hein Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:46:16 +0000 http://www.engineeringdaily.net/?p=2618#comment-3068 I made up my mind 20 years ago when I started my mechanical engineering career to develop a sound understanding of all mechanical engineering fundamentals...heat transfer, fluid dynamics, mechanics of materials, statics, dynamics, etc. By continuing to develop these sound fundamentals, I have been able to practice in many different areas, be employed in a variety of roles and with various employers, and finally start my own consulting business. Had I chosen to become an expert at just one thing, I would have been trapped in the situations that many engineers have fallen into, especially today.....being very valuable to one company, one industry, or one technology and unable to cross into something else when they get laid off or the industry and technology dies. I consult for many companies whose engineers are experts at one thing and get stuck on a problem that often gets solved by looking outside their area of expertise. I made up my mind 20 years ago when I started my mechanical engineering career to develop a sound understanding of all mechanical engineering fundamentals…heat transfer, fluid dynamics, mechanics of materials, statics, dynamics, etc. By continuing to develop these sound fundamentals, I have been able to practice in many different areas, be employed in a variety of roles and with various employers, and finally start my own consulting business. Had I chosen to become an expert at just one thing, I would have been trapped in the situations that many engineers have fallen into, especially today…..being very valuable to one company, one industry, or one technology and unable to cross into something else when they get laid off or the industry and technology dies. I consult for many companies whose engineers are experts at one thing and get stuck on a problem that often gets solved by looking outside their area of expertise.

]]> http://www.engineeringdaily.net/should-an-engineer-be-an-expert-in-one-thing-or-ok-good-at-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3060 Doug Fred Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:47:40 +0000 http://www.engineeringdaily.net/?p=2618#comment-3060 Nice article Brian. My view on this is as follows: If we all pursued perfection in everything, then we would end up being mediocre because we all cannot simply be the greatest in everything we do. An old professor once told me that I would be a better engineer if I knew that no other engineer could do something better than I could. I believe that this is what engineers should strive for in that, through collaboration we can as a collective body of engineers achieve perfection in everything we do. Nice article Brian.
My view on this is as follows: If we all pursued perfection in everything, then we would end up being mediocre because we all cannot simply be the greatest in everything we do. An old professor once told me that I would be a better engineer if I knew that no other engineer could do something better than I could.
I believe that this is what engineers should strive for in that, through collaboration we can as a collective body of engineers achieve perfection in everything we do.

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