Are Soft Skills More Important than Technical Skills in Engineering?

Engineering involves using technical principles to develop, design, and create machines that can solve different problems. The success of the engineering role largely depends on both the technical and soft skills possessed by every engineering professional. Therefore, there is no way to conclude that one skill is more important than the other. 

Why are soft skills important?

Soft skills are personal and they influence the way a person interacts and responds to situations and people at work or other social settings. These skills include the ability to work with a team, pay attention to details, communicate effectively, and be able to manage time. It is quite rare to see an engineer work alone; most of the time, there are a bunch of them working together, sharing ideas, and implementing solutions. While a task is being carried out, these professionals communicate and collaborate to ensure the success of every project. Collaboration also fosters good management skills that can help to further inspire and motivate the team members. While Engineers may have a truckload of technical skills to offload into a project, strong soft skills help to better equip and complement their craft.

Soft Skills Needed for the Engineering Role

• Communication skills

• Collaboration

• Leadership and Management skills

• Resilience

• Emotional Intelligence

• Conflict Resolution

• Creativity

• Adaptability

• Problem-solving

• Time management

• Networking

• Empathy

• Brainstorming

• Organizational skills

• Active listening

• Research

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Why Technical Skills for Engineering?

Technical skills are also known as Hard Skills. This is because they are specific, measurable, and tailored to a particular craft, job, or experience. The core of most engineering jobs is the technical part and during job interviews, candidates are assessed and gauged based on their proficiency in these skills. Engineering technical skills are usually diverse because of the various specialties within the field and they include:

• Civil Engineering

• Petroleum Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering

• Robotics Engineering

• Computer Engineering

• Electrical Engineering

• Nuclear Engineering

• Aerospace Engineering

• Software Engineering

• Materials Engineering

• Industrial Engineering

• Environmental Engineering

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Based on interest, skills, and education, professionals choose to explore one or more of the engineering specialties listed above. While engineering hard skills may slightly differ as a result of specialties, there are technical skills applicable to engineering roles and they include:

• Mechanical skills

• Mathematical skills

• Technical Drawing skills

• Prototyping

• Analytical skills

• Troubleshooting

• Technical Documentation

• Computer skills

• Infrastructural Design skills

• Process Management

• Statistics

Hard and soft skills complement each other in the workplace and on a CV/resume. It is like having a mixture of milk and chocolate to make your tea. Both skills present you to your employers and clients as an effective and well-rounded engineer who knows his/her onions. While you exhibit an impressive personal character (Soft skills), it is expected that you can also show your technical experience to satisfaction (Hard skills). None of the skills surpasses the other, both are relevant and necessary to help you get to the top and deliver quality service as an Engineer.