What Makes An Engineering Professional?

Thanks Miles,

I have just about completely polished for publication the articles I told you about earlier this month.

The black weld analysis has grown and if it wasn't for wisdom like yours in reminding us about IMOAA, I may have dropped the search for answers that the vendor and client didn't want.

Thanks again Sir

The Audacity!

In service to find the Answer.

Thanks for the feedback qaqcpipeman.

Milo

Milo,

I usually toss Tenacity in also, like Churchill English Bull Doggedness.

Don't tell me we cannot find the answer or cause

Absolutely!

This is especially true for work at the bleeding edge. Many will say "It can't be done" because it has not been done. Without tenacity and perseverance, good ideas can die on the vine.

Proven experience and Innovation should be given more importance than anything else. Nowadays engineering is treated like politics by asking some engineers to recommend a candidate or to write a report which could be prepared by another person for membership or professional status. Engineering institutions should develop a system which can evaluate a candidate without considering recommendations.

What Makes An Engineering Professional?

Proper grammar?

"Proper Grammar?" Garthh, The ability to clearly communicate (actually effectively communicate) was something I was going to add, but I was certain that someone would add this as a contribution so I left it off as an opportunity for conversation.

If not contributed, it would be the seed for WMAEP part II.

So THANK YOU for bringing up this Great Point!

Had the engineers involved in the shuttle launch disaster communicated clearly, that disaster would likely have been avoided. Instead, they hid behind undecipherable Powerpoint charts that met official documentation rules, but obscured the link between temperature and launch anomalies.

I can see your point about lousy grammar = unprofessional.

Milo

The title just struck my ear wrong :D

& I was poking fun

I thought it was meant to be:

What Makes an Engineer a Professional?

realizing that Milo wouldn't stomp off in a huff, I made a crack

re-reading the thread today, I interpret the title differently, so adding a comma it makes more sense as

What Makes an Engineering, Professional?

I think Milo is using "engineering professional" as a synonym for "engineer".

So,

"What makes an (engineering professional)?"

"What makes an (engineer)?

"What makes a (professional engineer)?

are all grammatically equivalent.

The last however, has two different meanings, because a "professional engineer" can be an engineer who acts professionally, or an engineer who is certified as a PE.

An engineer should not be judged by qualification alone but whether he practices it properly

True.

There are indeed licensing and degree aspects.

I have found there to be relatievly few "degreed and licensed" engineers on here. Yet many engineering 'types' and Bricoleurs.

I made this post inclusive rather than drawing lines that divide- It was simultaneously posted on our PMPA blog where many of our "Engineering professionals" are craft journeyman machinists, as well as estimators, and Quality professionals.

Your take on professionalism being a way of acting in the world as opposed to just meaning credentialed or titled is of course a wonderful distinction to add to this conversation.

If When I were to blog on THAT subject, I would call it professionalism.

Thanks.

Milo

One should not expect an engineer or certified engineer or professional engineer to know all aspects of a branch of engineering like civil,mechanical,electrical, marine,aircraft, railway etc If he specialises in a particular area like generators,transmission lines or motors or air conditioning or highways it is enough. Compare the medical profession where we have specialists for each part of our body like eye,ear,teeth,heart,kidney as well for each disease like diabetes,cancer etc

In many jurisdiction, you need a licence to be called an engineer.

While, it unfortunately prevents some very good technical designers from calling them-self engineers, the professional license separates the ones who are legally responsible for the results of their work from those who can easily abandon their clients with little consequences.

That being said, the licence is not a guaranty of quality, but it is a proof that someone has tried to obtain the qualifications and is liable for his work.

And Yes, there are some technicians who are more qualified than some engineers...

An "Engineering License", or even the designation PE may be like some of the CWIs and NDT hands that I encounter in my ventures.

Great test takers who have no clue about what they are doing or what is/has happened.

Being a field type guy who often is dismayed at dealing with the cubicle types, I may be biased, so please forgive me.

But, when a situation arises in the field, I pretty often find that the PMs and Design Engineers have lost their people skills and I have to take over a fact finding meeting, something that is usually out of my jurisdiction, by I do hold these Professionals in high esteem.

I have no disdain for any of our types who can produce in their capacity, either as an Engineer or Technician. All of us our necessary to make an idea come to a fruitful conclusion. And most all of us excel at our niche benefiting society in ways they may never know.

And as to the license jurisdiction, when I worked for Westinghouse NSD, so many years ago, some of the best Engineers were granted status by Westinghouse without the benefit of a formal education, and so excelled.

One of the best Metallurgists I have met in my long journey only had an 8th grade education, but could hold his own with the best of them.

Our profession is usually staffed by quiet and efficient types, be they Engineer or Technician, and the best seem to go unsung, not desiring a lot of notoriety.

Respectfully!

Milo and the most other repliers to this topic. I do not agree with much your answers to "What Makes an Engineering Professional." The nearest you come is in the 4th category, "Ability". The rest are worthy attributes to expect of someone working as an engineer. But they are more essential to success in the job than they are to professionalism.

Perhaps I'm dating myself back to the 1950-1960 period but here's my thoughts on engineering professionalism born of those and previous times and my own experience since. There may be some holes in my definition; but it should illuminate where I'm coming from.

Engineering is the process of producing and communicating a logical construct based on scientifically proven principals, the mathematical analysis that derives from these principals and the logical framework that leads to a specific physical application or analysis/diagnosis of a situation. Professionalism is characterized by execution within the framework of present societal ethics (good or bad) and at a level of competence recognized as consistent with gainful occupation as an engineer. Engineering, encompassing a wide range of technologies, requires that the professional be able to make clear and valid assessments of the boundaries of his/her own competence and confine work within those boundaries. These boundaries come in large measure from the real world experience to which the engineer is exposed or determines from his own research and education.

Execution of the communication of engineering work is not in and of itself engineering at a professional level. It is but an adjunct to engineering even though it may involve a level of training beyond that of more common means of communication such as voice, written and electronic methods. This includes graphic translations of engineering work regardless of their geometric complexity as well as completion of simple algebraic calculations where the preceding engineering work has provided the needed numerical constants. Non professional engineering work also includes the technical writing often required, non technical group presentations, assembly of physical constructs, conduct of tests, procurement of materials and training in non-engineering subjects.

While worldly knowledge and experience in areas outside the boundaries of one's engineering specialty as well as a variety of positive personal attributes important to one's value to a particular work situation they are not essential to the definition of professionalism in an engineer. This includes such characteristics as good work ethic, creativity, ability and willingness to take risks, loyalty, personal grooming, honesty and a host of other personal characteristics we legitimately seek and value in employees and team members.

Ed Weldon

Perfect shot Milo, an engineer should never get rusted by stagnation.

Thanks! Milo