How to write a letter or report that could stand on its own. Similarly, we were not taught the importance of complete documentation of requirements. [Also] how to define the problem and the information needed to solve that problem. We calculated the solutions to many problems, for which we were given all of the parameters, but very little time was spent on the precursor to calculation, which, in my opinion, is the essence of engineering. It would have made my early years in engineering much easier [to have that knowledge]. [And] if current students learned those skills, I wouldn't have to wait two years for EITs to start paying their way. —Tom Paxson, P.E., F.NSPE, president, Pax-Sun Inc.

Our company operates in the consulting engineering industry. I wish I would've had finance classes (accounting or managerial accounting, etc.), legal classes on basic understanding of the legal system and terms, [and] classes dealing with codes and government regulations, such as OSHA.

Learning the above aspects of business would've provided a good foundation. Instead, I learn as I go, and I learn based on mistakes made. It certainly makes me more inefficient—needing to understand certain financial, legal, or code issues before a contract or project can be completed.

I understand why colleges/universities don't include such classes—there is just no time after all the engineering classes. However, some institutions have requirements for gym and other classes that could easily be substituted.

The extra classes at Drexel that really helped me were history of engineering, ethics classes, [and] writing classes. Ninety-five percent of my work is writing and 5% is actual engineering calculations, etc. You need to be able to communicate well!
—Richard Delp, P.E., president, Schiller and Hersh Associates Inc.

What I didn't learn in engineering school, but wish I had, are public relations and public speaking skills, specifically as they relate to community and media relations. Over the course of my career, I have had many occasions to speak in public forums and to provide interviews to the media in both broadcast and print media settings. Although I had to develop many of the necessary skills on my own (the hard way), I have also been fortunate in having top-notch public relations firms working with me on several projects. In engineering school, we tend to focus on development of technical skills and become very adept at problem solving, but then we enter the workforce and find that most of what we do is interacting with people. I believe engineers would greatly benefit from engineering school curriculums that include instruction in "people" skills. —Gary Pendergrass, P.E., manager of environmental compliance, governmental relations/environmental affairs, City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri

I was lucky to have a mentor that introduced me to the fact that good communicators do well and move up the career chain. Probably if I wasn't mentored, then I may not have put the effort into communicating. I really had to work at evaluating my communication skills and took courses on public speaking, listening awareness, and teambuilding.

People skills are just as important. Being aware of your audience and their perceptions and emotions is critical to effective communications. There are good ways to say things and there are not-so-good ways to say things to be effective. This awareness affects your ability to influence others and get results that you desire.
—Stephen Hutti, P.E., program manager of ground support equipment, tactical aircraft, and weapons support, The Boeing Co.

Leadership skills, business acumen, negotiating skills, international cultures. [Learning these things would've helped me] become an effective leader not based solely on my technical skills. [They would've also helped me] develop the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to deliver the product more efficiently and with greater impact. I had to learn these skills through the school of hard knocks. In some circumstances, [that] may have delayed my professional career growth opportunities. [Also important are] geospatial processing skills (which are probably required today), [the] latest technology (Web development, Webinars, communications), understanding your personality profile (Myers-Briggs, 360 profile, etc.), and understanding other cultures, including how they approach problem solving and communications. —John Cardarelli II, P.E., health physicist, Environmental Protection Agency

I wish I had developed these skills more during my education because they were necessary when I entered the working world as a consulting engineer. Meetings with clients and [presentations] occur almost every day. I am still not as proficient at these skills as I would like. This lack of proficiency does at times affect successful performance.

Lack of this knowledge has added stress to my work life, as I am not comfortable in these public situations. Extemporaneous speaking is difficult. I think I have a tendency to avoid these situations that lead to a lack of peak performance at all times in my work career.

The technical education is truly important. The lack of time available to devote to these soft skills in the current college curriculum is a problem. To learn all the technical skills needed and at the same time get a good introduction to the soft skills is nearly impossible with the current number of hours that an engineering degree [incorporates]. People will learn on the job and not all of us will be great orators, but success will come more to those who have good communication skills and "people" personalities.
—William Clarke, P.E., president, Horner & Shifrin Inc.

Engineering school did a great job of imparting the technical knowledge required to get started in an engineering career, but I found that basic communication and writing skills necessary for the job had to be learned on the fly. [In] my first job out of school—I was running computer-modeled air quality analyses on a large multifaceted development and needed to provide summaries of the modeling, results, and recommendations to the reviewing agency in the form of technical memoranda. I remember taking a stab at my first draft of a four- or five-page memo and submitting it to my supervisor for review. It was returned to me, bloodied with red notations and changes. I remember being quite embarrassed that he had so many modifications to my writing content and style. As time went by and I learned the proper style for these types of memoranda, my written products [were] returned to me with fewer and fewer mark-ups, until I finally received a memo back which said "perfect."  While it took a couple of months, my supervisor was never impatient with me and knew I was capable of [achieving] the correct style of writing for these technical memoranda. I learned that it is most important to know exactly who your audience [is] when writing and communicating in general. I definitely would've liked to have seen communication and writing courses in engineering school. I believe that writing and communicating effectively are of utmost importance, not only in engineering but in all professions (and life in general). While technical engineering knowledge and skills are important for someone to be a good engineer, the ability to effectively communicate is key to becoming a great engineer. I also think a course on leadership is very important. While a young engineer may not be in a leadership role right out of school, having those qualities will propel a young engineer and will certainly help with advancement as these qualities are recognized by supervisors and peers alike. It is truly wonderful to be able to work as part of a team. It is even a richer feeling to be a true leader who motivates people to do the best job that they can. —David Janover, P.E., town engineer, Town of Islip, New York

Nothing. I feel that I came out of college ready for an engineering career and for life. The most important knowledge I got was the knowledge that I could learn anything I needed when it came up.

I'm glad I wasn't taught a lot of specific tools or techniques. While these things might make you better suited for a first job, the ability to think and use common sense is much more important. The details of engineering change rapidly as technology changes, and vocational training doesn't have a long shelf life.

The most important things I learned in engineering school were not engineering. These include ethics, economics, and creative writing (through an elective) with a Broadway playwright. Outside of coursework, my experiences in college theater, editing a magazine, serving as secretary of [my] fraternity, and dealing with university policies all equipped me for successfully understanding and executing engineering projects in a corporate environment.

Engineering is not just about crunching numbers and applying formulas. It's about finding the best solution to real-world problems, which means understanding requirements and constraints and communicating results clearly to decision makers who are not engineers.
—Andy Russo, P.E., F.NSPE, consultant, Oracle Corp.

There is always time to learn more, so I found no reason to fret. If the knowledge is available, one can go find it at the time it is needed. The things I wished I had learned at that time are actually not associated with the academic curriculum and were missed because of the intensity of the degree program. I wish I had learned to play hockey earlier in life. I'm an addict to the game now, but am having to learn the fundamentals of skating while I compete with guys who are much better. Good living requires balance. Students can get out of balance in either direction (too much studying versus too much playing). Find a good midpoint. —David Rockstraw, P.E., professor of chemical engineering, New Mexico State University