7 Crucial Skills Every Mechanical Engineering Student Should Have

While studying and doing homework in mechanical engineering is important to be a pass out, it is not a guarantee to land you a job. There are many steps along the way to practice as a mechanical engineer.

All your college days go by attending lectures and submitting your Mechanical engineering homework on time. To stand out in the market a mechanical engineering student needs to have some skills.

Here are the seven crucial skills, you need to have as a mechanical engineering student:

1. Honing technical skills

2. Getting used to pressure

3. Being a Problem Solver

4. Creative Thinking

5. Communication- Verbal and Written

6. Commercial Awareness

7. Working in team

Start practicing these skills in your college days, and get better at it.

Let us get into detail to know more.

The 7 Crucial Skills Every Mechanical Engineering Student Should Have

1. Honing Technical Skills

Engineering is a technical and practical field. Every Engineer should have appropriate technical skills related to their job. For mechanical engineering, do your homework before you tread into the job market.

This means, along with your degree, you should have practical knowledge. Getting a job is easier when you have done internships or have certifications like Professional Engineer(PE) license.

Next time you do your mechanical engineering assignments and projects, keep in mind to work on your technical skills, too.

2. Getting Used To Pressure

Mechanical Engineers have to work in fields, often in stressful working conditions. Engineers work in

• the heat,

• fire,

• extreme cold 

• electricity,

• machine-fails

• with long hours

• and rough weather.

Machinery is often expensive and when the system fails, it is the mechanical engineer’s job to figure it out. So, train yourself to adjust to the pressure. People hire engineers to do tough and complex jobs. That is why their pay is higher, too.

3. Being a Problem Solver

This is another important skill for a mechanical engineer to have. Engineers have to learn math, physics, chemistry but also properties of materials. They need to have hands-on knowledge of how things work and what to do if something on the job stopped working.

They know that every client is different. And they have to solve each problem that comes in the way. But problem-solving is not a skill you learn in college. It comes with extensive knowledge, experience, and quick thinking.

4. Creative Thinking

All engineers should have a little bit of creativity in them because they create and build things from scratch. Like no client is the same, no job is the same for engineers. Mechanical engineers need to come up with new ideas.

They have to innovate things to increase efficiency, save cost and time spent. If you don’t think you are creative, try to learn and DIY some simple machines at home.

You can watch tutorials or videos on how people get better at building machines.

5. Communication skills- Verbal and Written

Mechanical engineering is not only related to the technical aspects of the job.

To be honest, for getting a job or a client, you need to market yourself. In a job interview, you have to convince the hirer of your skills and experiences. You cannot rely on your resume to do the talking.

That is why communication skills are very important soft skills. Writing skills come in handy when you are applying for a position, building your portfolio, replying to a client about a quote, or drafting a report.

So, learn to market yourself by developing your communication skills.

6. Commercial Awareness

Commercial Awareness means knowing about the financial, political, and technical trends that can affect your job. This is a valuable skill or thinking to have for a job application. This also means that you have done your research about the employer or the client.

 And knows how to work with them.

Commercial awareness is crucial to work with the latest technologies or inventions that are in the market. Many companies want mechanical engineers that are good in their job and have a mindset to learn by themselves, instead of getting trained.

7. Working In a Team

When working on a project or on machinery, an engineer cannot do all the tasks alone. There is always a team working on the said project. And for things to smooth, a mechanical engineer should have teamwork skills.

Teamwork depends upon everybody doing their share and more. An engineer should motivate and bind the team together despite the different personalities and job descriptions. They should focus on the big picture and move the team towards the end goal.

Learn to build good interpersonal relationships and work in groups in your college. The ability to direct, plan, budget, and manage people is a must for mechanical engineers.

Here are the seven skills a mechanical engineering student should have. Your college is the best opportunity to prepare yourself with these crucial skills before you enter the job market.