Ethan
How often do you learn something new compared to using previous knowledge?
As an engineer, how much of your time is spent using what you have previously learned and applying it? How much of your time is spent learning new material within your field? #engineering #computer #mechanical-engineering #computer-engineering #physics
5 answers
Christopher Rutledge
Christopher’s Answer
I remember when I was an engineering undergraduate and some students lamented that "we'll never use some of this stuff again so why are we learning it?". Well to that point, no one will ever pay us to recite Sin(45 degrees), but they will enlist our ability to solve problems. So with the problem solving skills that you will attain as an engineer, you will be highly equipped to solve many problems that come your way and over time you will pull from previous knowledge to become even more effective.
So if join an innovative organization, you will be pushed hard each day with new problems to solve. If you join a more process-oriented organization, your challenge will be to enhance and make better a process that in some cases works fine already. Cheers!
Glenn A
Glenn’s Answer
Simon Robson
Simon’s Answer
JD Duncan
JD’s Answer
As a Systems Engineer that works with large businesses in the SF Bay Area I spend a lot of time troubleshooting Microsoft products and tools. Every IT organization uses those tools differently and I learn something new with every customer visit. It definitely keeps things interesting.
Skyler LaBuff
Skyler’s Answer
Welcome to Career Village Ethan!
I think I'm pretty lucky, but in my job I am constantly learning new information and applying it. I am a true "knowledge worker" and that means that my job is to learn and then apply and teach others. But I think that even most traditional engineers who work Research and Design (R&D) would say that they consistently pick up new knowledge, new skills, and grow in their roles and responsibilities within their organization. That's the nature of engineering, which is why it's an AWESOME field to be in. We are problem solvers! And we rarely have to solve the same problem that we have already solved ;)
An engineering degree is meant to give you a somewhat broad exposure to lots of topics and teach you how to be a critical thinker and an effective problem solver. When you graduate, you'll likely apply a portion of what you learned in school, but many of us have to dive deeper or learn something brand new in order to start working in our career. And that trend continues in most engineering fields, so if you love to learn, engineering is the right field to be in!
I hope this helps!
Skyler
I agree. Engineering is the discipline of problem solving. One of my mentors once told me that a good engineer doesn't always know the answer, but knows how to find the answer. That advice has served me well throughout my career.
Steve Krushelniski