In the last blog, we encouraged young engineers and engineering students to tap into their creative side to help build their nontechnical skills. Today, we go further with an admittedly unexpected diagnosis: You may be suffering from tunnel vision.
Don’t get us wrong; Giffels Webster wants people who can buckle down and complete the task at hand. We greatly value people who can focus on their work – in fact, these are the type of people who proudly make up our staff.
We’re referring instead to a trend toward specialization within the disciplines of engineering. More students are introducing themselves as “water resource engineers” or “construction management engineers” as opposed to the general term of “civil engineer.” Even among those who think of themselves as civil engineers, there seems to be a shift toward a very narrow focus of practice, such as hydrology, as opposed to the general study of engineering.
There is certainly nothing wrong with specialization, particularly if you’re passionate about a specific area of engineering. Giffels Webster adores engineers who have a passion for their work. With specialization comes great expertise and the authority to influence great change in your chosen area.
Unfortunately, too much specialization can also narrow one’s perspective. There are fewer and fewer projects that revolve around a single discipline, let alone a specialty area. This is why Giffels Webster employs civil engineers, landscape architects, planners and surveyors to work together on every assignment. We also work hand-in-hand with mechanical, electrical, structural and environmental engineers, as well as the architectural community.
Our projects often involve pavement design, transportation geometric design, hydraulic design of storm-water-management systems and site grading. They often also require “nonengineering” proficiencies in economics, accounting and community relations. To meet the needs of today, each engineer must master a wide array of skills – both technical and nontechnical – for any modern project to be successful.
This is also the recipe for finding employment in today’s changing economy. The firms with the lion’s share of work hire and retain employees with a catalog of skills that transcend specialized engineering practices. If your focus is on too narrow a portion of our field you may not be nearly as marketable as someone with a more general background.
Author Anaïs Nin once said, “The day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Likewise, the decision to narrow your engineering focus to one particular discipline comes with positives and negatives. Specialization and passion must be balanced with general knowledge and understanding of the industry. Again, seeing the whole picture is imperative to achieving success and fulfillment in your career.