Communication Skills Are Keu to Career Success

摘要

I went to a large university where the 1 core curriculum for the environmental and civil engineering programs included a number of difficult courses - calculus, chemistry, physics, statics, dynamics, etc. - but none was more dreadful than the technical writing course. All engineers had to take the class, and perhaps it was just me, but it was difficult to transition from memorizing formulas and equations to writing effectively. I managed to pull off a "B," and looking back now, it seems crazy that only one technical writing course was required. Writing and public speaking are essential skills for this field and are something that few take the time to master. Whether speaking with prospective clients about innovative equipment, giving a presentation to a client to win a big job, or talking to the media about issues related to your municipality, all our jobs require speaking and writing skills. Our employers need more than design and number-crunching skills, they want us to write and speak effectively, too.