Max Swahn discusses the importance of strong communication skills in the engineering industry. For the full post visit MaxSwahn.com.

1. ENGINEERING
COMMUNICATION
SKILLS
BY MAX SWAHN
MAXSWAHN.COM

2. While it’s easy for people to assume that most
engineers are holed up working on research or
their next major build, in reality, engineering
requires a lot of communication skills as well. I
previously touched on why communication is
essential to a career in engineering. Now I’m
going to discuss the ‘what’ part of
communication
ENGINEERING REQUIRES A LOT OF
COMMUNICATION SKILLS

3. There are always varied levels of
understanding. In some
situations, you will be speaking
to your engineering peers who
understand the high-level
jargon of the field. Other times
you will be working with
coworkers from other
departments who aren’t familiar
with the same concepts you are.
Consider your audience before
planning a speech or
information session.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

4. THE ENGINEER
“If there’s a risk they’re unfamiliar with
technical details and jargon then keep it
simple at first – you can always add more
detail in later. And if you do mention terms
or concepts they may not have encountered
before then make sure you explain them in
clear language.”

5. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
If you aren’t comfortable with your current level of
communication skills, practice. The more often you use and
hone those skills, the more comfortable and confident you will
be. Consider taking advantage of a program like Toastmasters
International where you can practice in a private, controlled
environment.

6. Between emails, briefs, and
proposals, written
communication is equally as
important as oral
communication if not more in
the workplace. You use it every
day for nearly every task. Use
proper grammar. Practice the
same understanding for your
audience when you write as you
do when you speak. Don’t over
complicate things and be sure
you are direct.
THE WRITTEN WORD

7. Enthusiasm is contagious. While it’s important to
practice proper communication and make a clear
argument, passion is often the clearest message.
As Mitch Maimain describes, “Engineers do not
necessarily need to become card-carrying sales
people, however, they do need to be able to sell
their ideas.” If you can clearly display your
argument and show people how excited you feel
about it, the more likely people are to respond to
it.
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS -
ENTHUSIASM

8. THANK
YOU!
For the full post visit MAXSWAHN.COM