ESSENTIAL ENGINEERING SKILLS 1. Engineers are responsible for technologies that are crucial for the modern world. Therefore, engineers should be competent in different ways. In addition to job-specific skills in science and mathematics, engineers should possess certain soft skills. These skills involve the ability to work in team, to communicate with different people, to solve problems, and to think critically. 2. Modern engineering is a teamwork, which implies communication with colleagues, oral presentations and written reports. Communication skills are useful for reading technical manuals and translating them into a plain everyday language. Moreover, engineers should be able to work in multicultural and multinational teams, to communicate with engineers from other countries in the English language. 3. The ability to solve problems is an important part of engineering. Engineers face problems every day. For example, constructing a new road between two towns, a bridge across the river, or optimizing a pipeline system. Engineering design problems are often open ended. An engineer must consider many alternatives to find the most suitable solution. Engineers should learn the following problem-solving strategies: identifying a problem, collecting information, sorting data, developing solutions, and choosing the best of them. 4. Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally. Critical thinking skills are essential for an engineer in every branch and at any career level. These skills improve decision-making and contribute to stronger working relationships in the workplace. Engineers can enhance some processes by using analysis, interpretation, inference, and evaluation. Every engineering student can improve their critical thinking skills by practicing active listening, asking questions and evaluating the evidence. 5. There is no precise formula of a successful engineer. Different skills can help in different situations. A combination of hard and soft skills together with such personal qualities as integrity, perseverance, initiative, and readiness to adopt new approaches are important constituents of a successful engineering career. Choose the correct answer to the following question: What are critical thinking skills? Вопрос 1Ответ a. Critical thinking skills involve the ability to work in team, to communicate with different people, and to solve problems. b. Critical thinking skills imply communication with colleagues, oral presentations and written reports. c. Critical thinking skills consist of active listening, asking questions and evaluating the evidence. d. Critical thinking skills imply the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking.