Seven skills every mechanical engineer should have in order to succeed.

Seven skills every mechanical engineer should have in order to succeed.

Seven skills every mechanical engineer should have in order to succeed.

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest of the engineering disciplines that involves the designing, production and operation of machinery. This field requires an understanding of core areas including mechanics, electricity dynamics, thermodynamics, material science and much more. It's become very important for mechanical engineers to possess certain qualities and skills to crack the job. Here, in this article we are going to discuss on the seven most important skills that mechanical engineers should have in order to succeed.

Here, are the seven skills that we think every mechanical engineer should have in order to succeed.

1. Strong understanding of theoretical aspects.

Strong Understanding of theoretical aspects.

Many of time you might heard from your seniors, colleagues and professors that to make strong understanding on basics, you should have to study every subject. But, if you are thinking to do so! Then, let me tell you that in engineering we have 48 subjects. The question is that should we be good at all the 48 subjects. Simply the answer is “Not at all”, you need to only be good at three to four subjects in order to build a career in a particular domain.

Let’s say for example, if you are looking to enter into a design domain. Then, something like engineering graphics, machine design or kinematics of machines these are fundamentals that you should be really good.

Or if you want to go into computational fluid dynamics. Then fluid dynamics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, gas propulsion, jet dynamics these are concepts that you need to be working on. Or to get into structural analysis, solid mechanic, strength of materials, finite element analysis and if you want to get into robotics then you should have good understanding of dynamics, kinematics of machinery, engineering mechanics.

So, these are few courses that if you do really well or if you understand the theoretical aspects. You can definitely have a one foot ahead of your peers (i.e. focus on getting a good understanding of your theoretical aspects). Again I'm going to repeat it does not mean mugging up all the 48 courses, understanding three to four courses specific to your domain is what you need to do.

2. Knowledge on engineering tools

Knowledge of Engineering Tools.

Now, you have theory or Understanding of basics or you want to apply these theory in real world. The question is how you apply this theory. Knowledge on engineering tool will allow you to apply these theoretical concepts in practical real-world engineering problems. In this age it is by knowing a particular CAD tool (computer-aided engineering tool). For example if you are a design engineer, you can look into SolidWorks, NX, Catia and multiple other designing software.

But the fundamental aspect of it is that this is a software, if you do not know what to put into the software you will not get what you expect out of the software. the software will only throw out answers that for the inputs that you provide. So you need to have a very good understanding of your theoretical aspects in order to use the software really well. So that is where you need to have a good understanding of the theoretical aspects and also learn how to use a particular software.

3. Background Knowledge

Background Knowledge

Now I learned a particular software I have a good understanding what is the next step that I need to do. So here is where you need to have a very good background knowledge on how the tool is working, to solve any kind of problem similar to the concepts that you know.

Let me give you an example where you are doing an analysis on how much is the NOx or soot produced and you’re basically the different and basically the differentiating variable here is the piston boil geometry.

Pistol boil geometry

So in this case, you have the theoretical knowledge, you have the software knowledge for that particular problem you can solve the problem. But when I go a little away saying we are using a different whole, different engine, the spray model is different, the combustion model is different, the turbulence model is different and the emission modelling is different. Than how do you kind of go ahead and also solve that problem. so that is where you need to have understand what is the tool doing in the background, what kind of turbulence model it is using, what kind of combustion model it is using and it kind of differs from different software.

But whenever you are going into a particular domain taking the look into the software and understanding what is going behind the software is also helpful for you to have a successful career. These are three things which are primarily needed, if you are a mechanical automotive or aerospace in the next five things are pretty simple and straightforward.

4. Logical thinking and solving problems through first principles

What do I mean by first principles? First principles of physics and math basically can help you solve any problems. So those first principles will help you think logically, having a logical thinking point of view will allow you to work on any problem that is outside your scope. Because you have a good theoretical knowledge, good understanding of the software and what is going on in behind the software. So that is where you basically have a good logical thinking and that's something really important.

5. Communication skills

Communication skills

Now you have good Understanding of basics, having good background knowledge, tool knowledge and having good logical understanding of things. But if you're failed to represent those ideas and skill, Then you are not going to suppose good communicator or skilled engineering. So it's become very important for any one from any domain having good Communication skill or good representation skill.

Here is one thing that I like to mention is that their is nothing related to your English speaking skill. It's all about your brevity, clarity, and simplicity of words in your interaction. A person having idea and practice of these terms can easily interact with someone or we say he/she can effectively convey their ideas and thought's to anyone.

6. Teamwork

Mechanical engineering involves many teamwork, Often working in groups to create design and solve problems. they could work with people that aren't mechanical engineers. Like computer scientists or architect. They, therefore got to be ready to work with a various team of individuals to resolve problems.

7. Coding Skill

Coding skills

Something that will become very important in the days to come is your coding skills. Long back probably in twenties’, mechanical engineers didn’t consider to do coding. But in current scenario to sustain or be very successful in the mechanical engineering domain learn coding is needed.

Now the Python or MATLAB, understanding those two tools has become kind of a fundamental thing if you are a mechanical engineer. because it allows you to automate, it allows you to be efficient, it increases your efficiency and if you are efficient the company basically gets more productive, if the company gets more productive the company generates more revenue and if the company generates more revenue because of you, then you will be successful very simple.

So these are seven things- strong theoretical knowledge, knowledge on the tool, what knowledge on, what's going behind the tool, logical thinking through first principles, communication skill, team work and coding skills. So these are seven skills that you need to have as a mechanical engineer to have a successful period.