After Reading The Entrepreneurial Engineer Chapters 1 and 2, I have developed a stronger understanding of the Missing Basics and their importance in the career of an engineer in today's society. I agree with Mr.Goldberg's analysis of the differing roles of an engineer of the Cold War and of today's global economy. More and more an engineer is pressed to assume the role of not only a scientist and a mathematician, but also as an entrepreneur and a businessman. As an engineer, one must apply the 10 Competencies and observe the Three Principles and Cautions in order to take charge of his/her career and develop a marketable portfolio and an array of useful skills. This was the basis of Goldberg's first chapter and I agree with his assumptions. I feel that an engineer needs to be able to communicate with others and sell the product or design they have created. They need to learn how to move in and out of their work and the business of people and networking. I think the Three Principles is exactly what an engineer needs to build their career around.
The second chapter deals with engineering in an educational sense and how it relates to and differs from other disciplines. This chapter also presents a way for an engineer to use his/her knowledge to develop a joy for engineering. I never really considered the large differences between science and engineering. As Goldberg stated, our culture has a misunderstanding of the engineering profession. An engineer in today's job market needs to apply the sciences in new ways at high cost versus a scientist's perspective of simply improving efficiency of past techniques. Engineering is a launch pad, as put by Goldberg, into differing careers due to the innovation brought through education and a love for the profession.
This semester I want to develop my presentation skills. I feel like I could become a better public speaker by the end of the semester by not only leading in labs and working with a team, but also participating in clubs and assuming a leadership position. I want to apply the Three Principles to the way I approach innovation and experimentation. This is an ongoing goal, but is again one I would like to see developed upon the conclusion of the semester. My third goal is to apply a business understanding to the products and projects I will be working on in the future. I will accomplish this by working outside of class with clubs and organizations that will develop my understanding of business, and by applying common business knowledge and cost analysis to my work. This is again another "career goal" but one I hope to master by the end of the semester. There are many clubs and organizations that will help me develop this skill and many opportunities within the classroom that I look forward to utilizing.
