MARCH 2001

Career Development —
What Have You Done for Engineering Students Lately?

by Julie Gaevert and Lou Lovas

It may not have been so long ago that you were an engineering student. Do you remember being so engrossed in your technical studies that you didn’t think any other issues worth considering existed? And do you remember how quickly you learned how much non-technical skill you need in the "real world" when you got out there?

Not much has changed recently in engineering education. Sure, educators agree that engineering students need to develop non-technical as well as technical skills to be fully marketable when they graduate. More and more, colleges and universities are integrating non-technical, "professional" courses into their curriculums. But still, many graduates enter the workforce unprepared in at least some of the non-technical, "soft skills" areas of the engineering profession.

Critical professional skills and issues, such as effective communications, ethics, and financial management, are typically ignored in the college curriculum, which means academia is continuing to turn out predominantly technically oriented employees who don’t have the other skills necessary to succeed. IEEE’s Student Professional Awareness Conferences (S-PACs) attempt to fill the on-campus professional skills void.

Student Professional Awareness Conferences (S-PACs) address these critical engineering student needs. Invited speakers discuss various non-technical topics with students, giving them a first-hand account of what engineering in the real world is really like—and advice on how they can enter the engineering profession positioned to succeed. While S-PACs cannot—and should not—serve as a substitute for traditional academic courses dedicated to address non-technical issues, they serve to make students aware that non-technical skills exist and are critical to professional success.

As a practicing engineer, perhaps you should consider sharing your wisdom with our nation’s next wave of engineers. When you consider the value you would have gained by such a program, it would certainly be a great investment. Consider your time a much-needed contribution to the entire engineering community. By helping tomorrow’s engineers today, you will be doing your part to ensure that our engineering new hires can start contributing the minute they step through the door.

For information about serving as an S-PAC speaker or mentor, please fill out the form at: www.ieeeusa.org/committees/SPAC/New_Speaker_Request_Form.html or contact your Regional S-PAC Coordinator.

Julie Gaevert is IEEE-USA's Student Professional Awareness Committee Chair; and Lou Lovas is Regional Activities Board/Student Activities Committee/Student Professional Awareness Chair.  Write them at todaysengineer@ieee.org.