Of course, exceptional technical abilities matter for any engineer, whatever their specific discipline. However, possessing a variety of soft skills also remains critical for professionally successful engineering candidates. In fact, many modern companies want résumés with a stronger array of softer skills compared to technical acumen.
Ultimately, if you want a chance to attract the most potential employers, highlighting your soft skills becomes essential. Everything from communication to leadership to problem-solving matters to today’s forward-looking business. So let’s take a closer look at the soft skills they truly desire in an engineering candidate.
Strong Written and Verbal Communication Skills
The engineering world continues to become more collaborative, with many project methodologies focused on teamwork. In this environment, excellent verbal and written skills become critical. Verbal ability matters when communicating with project stakeholders, vendors, or coworkers. Writing skills make a difference when writing specifications and other critical project documentation.
Creativity is Important for Any Engineer
No matter the specific field of engineering, creativity benefits the professional engineer. Being able to craft an innovative and practical circuit design provides only one example. Creativity also comes into play with other soft skills important to an engineer, like problem-solving or troubleshooting.
The Ability to Collaborate and Work as Part of a Team
As noted earlier, teamwork and collaboration now reign supreme throughout the worlds of engineering and software development. It’s a major reason for the popularity of the Agile and DevOps methodologies in software engineering. Whether your company uses either approach, the ability to collaborate with others is now in-demand as a soft skill. Ultimately, engineering relies on innovation, which is a transformational activity greatly benefitting from a team-based approach.
Leadership and Management Potential
Engineering companies are also on the outlook for candidates with the ability to lead others. So if you ever served as a manager or a team lead, highlight this fact on your résumé. Expect an interviewer to drill into your experience in this area, especially when interviewing for an engineering manager position.
Even if you never worked in a managerial role as an engineer, include any experiences illustrating leadership skills. Mentoring fellow engineers, serving in a senior engineering role, or even project management experience all apply. Showing leadership in charitable activities or at a non-profit is also worth mentioning.
Do You Want to Grow Your Career?
If you want to take your technical career to a higher level, speak with the experienced recruiters at Synerfac. As one of the top engineering staffing agencies in the country, we know the companies looking for talented candidates like you. Connect with us soon!