The ability to communicate technical information is a major sought-for attribute by employers of engineers worldwide. The needs of the current millennium require the prepared engineer to be able articulate their designs clearly, whether orally, through writing or graphical forms. At the same time, the audiences to be communicated by the engineers varies from peers at school, work, supervisors, professors, bosses and the general public. Good writing skills are also a component of critical thinking, a highly needed skill in engineering, especially for the engineers in managerial positions. In essence, the value of good writing skills in engineering cannot be over-emphasized. I got a chance to interview a peer who secured an internship with a leading car assembly company, and he helped me understand the value of writing skills in mechanical engineering, which I analyze in this piece.

In regard to the professional presentation and opinion shaping, engineers are expected to be top speakers in the public, in order to participate actively in opinion shaping to protect and safeguard their profession. Troy (2014) observes that poor communication is disastrous in engineering, having led to the collapse of the space shuttle of 1986. Similarly, many institutions have witnessed poor performance due to poor communications by the engineers in the managerial positions. Such embarrassing instances need to be eliminated by imparting communication skills to the engineers during training.

Writing skills are very important to an engineer. Although many disciplines encourage writing, Troy (2014) observes that writing and the ability to think critically are interlinked, thus the need to encourage engineers to write legibly. Through writing, the learner acquires knowledge of the material that they write. In addition, learning pedagogical techniques in engineering benefit from writing. Such include problem-based learning, active learning, and cooperative learning. As confirmed by Engineer Humphrey, whom I interviewed as I prepared for this paper, his excellence in classwork benefited from his ability to communicate his ideas effectively. Humphrey admitted to me that, in his first year of schooling in the engineering classes, he had difficulty expressing himself, even though the ideas were clear in his mind. Combining the observation of Troy (2014) and the confirmatory verbalization by Engineer Humphrey, good writing skills play a major role in active learning. With good writing skills, handling classwork exercises becomes easy and enjoyable.

Studying engineering can sometimes be a source of stress. Troy (2014) notes that good writing skills are important in handling such stress. According to Troy, written communication is an ingredient for lower stress levels and enables the organization and development of the concepts learned in the class. Research is also a very important aspect in engineering, both in the classroom and the workplace. Engineer Humphrey informed me that good writing skills enabled him to record high marks in his final year research project. He also reiterated that engineers are supposed to carry out research continuously in their profession, in order to keep up to date with the millennium developments.

Various types of writing tasks and tests are involved in the field of mechanical engineering. In college, an engineer will need to write assignments, exams, conference papers, simulation reports, lab reports, group reports, contributions to the engineering journal, scholarship and admission letters and others. In the job place, one will write research papers, conference papers, minutes of meetings, business plans, experimental reports, design analysis, curriculum vitae and many others.

As Engineer Humphrey confirmed to me, an engineer needs to be legible in both formal and informal writing styles. In the workplace, an engineer may be required to communicate with peers through informal texts (Riema, 2007). However, official communication will need formal writing with a professional tone. For example, a marketing manager of an engineering firm will need to integrate both formal and informal techniques while preparing a presentation about their products to be presented at a conference. As such, there is a connection between capable writing and advancement. However, the nature of the position determines whether one will write more or less, but one needs to be prepared to write always. Unclear and inaccurate writing can cost someone a lot. It can even lead to loss of a job. The boss assumes that inaccurate writing is a result of inadequate knowledge on the subject. The juniors also tend to lose trust with them, leading to poor performance in the whole department. Management of the employees becomes difficult.

There is a variety of audiences for engineers. Official business meetings require formal documents. Websites and blogs require moderation because of the mixed audience in the sites. For example, a marketing website for engineering products will not be visited by the engineers alone. The language should be understandable to the people who visit (Missingham, 2006). It should simple, concise and clear. Engineering journals and conference papers serve as official important sources of new information. Unofficial information sources include social media such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Since engineers interact in social media, one can follow a potential professional role model of choice on twitter.

After interviewing my colleague and doing some research, I am confident that I am prepared for the task ahead. The advantage is that I have understood the need for good writing skills early. I will continue improving what I already know in order to be an effective communicator, and reap the benefits of good writing skills.

References

Missingham, D. (2006). The integration of professional communication skills into engineering education. Edith Cowan University: Conference paper for EDU-COM International Conference. <http://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1090&context=ceducom >

Riema, J.M. (2007). Communication skills for the 21^st century engineer.Global Journal of Engineering Education, 11(1), 89-99.

Troy, D.C. (2014). Writing to learn engineering: Identifying effective techniques for the integration of written communication into engineering classes and curricula (NSF RIGEE project). Indianappolis, IN: 121^st ISEE Annual Conference and Exposition.