Building A Better Engineer Through Project Diversity

By Sean Albert – Partner & President

Engineers are born to be creative problem-solvers, always stepping up to help when assistance is needed and striving to figure out how things work. It’s easy for this type of personality to feel bored and stagnant at a job where they’re asked to solve the same type of problem over and over again.

Once an engineer gets familiar with a position, they are often driven to get out of that groove and experience new things. Having a diverse work environment that feeds this drive helps to build better engineers.

Engineers Need Project Diversity

An engineer’s first job out of college satisfies their need to experience something different. They’ve suffered four or more years at school jamming math theorems and engineering lab work into their heads and they’re chomping at the bit to apply what they know – and get paid for it.

Getting into their first project, perhaps they realize school didn’t teach them everything they need to know but it did instill in them a love for problem-solving. They get into researching processors or developing new tests to solve problems. Maybe the company they’re at makes a widget or provides a specialty service that, on the first day of their employment, was all new but has not become familiar to them.

They’ve developed a toolbox of problem-solving skills that can handle any issue at their current job. At this point in their career, they may find themselves in the proverbial rut.

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Project Diversity in Product Development Companies

Being a product development company, we don’t usually get the same project twice. We serve a diverse array of industries – medical, life sciences, consumer, industrial, academic, military, etc.

That idea may seem troublesome to non-engineers, but it represents an exciting opportunity for engineers to expand their skill-sets and get out of the rut of doing the same things over and over again.

The possibility to explore new technologies and develop unique prototypes can rejuvenate an engineer’s brain. Dealing with different clients and coming up to speed on new requirements broadens their experience and makes them more valuable for future projects.

Their exposure to a wide variety of prototypes, projects, clients, and companies enhances their experience and expertise, readying them for their next venture.

Related Article: Roadmap for Rapid Prototype Design

Companies Value Diverse Engineering Experience

The marketplace for any industry is always demanding something unique with an eye toward intellectual property (IP). IP is often created by a project team and can be dependent on how creative they are with their problem-solving skills.

Companies pay big money to protect their technology because it’s one of the pillars they stand on to assure the longevity of their business. Often the most creative people on a team are the ones who have worked with many clients on many projects in many industries. Companies value this kind of experience.

If you find yourself in a workplace rut, consider seeking out different projects within your company. The company should recognize that enabling you to work on a diverse range of projects is a benefit to your professional development and their bottom line. But it all starts with your ambition to improve yourself and build yourself to be a better engineer.

Interested in a career at Goddard Technologies?

Contact us for a candid conversation about how you can join our team. We can be reached by email or phone: Jobs@GoddardTech.com or 978-524-8884.