A little change of pace

Usually I'm on here blabbing about cars and stuff but this time something else is on my mind.  So last week I got the opportunity to talk and speak with a major professional in my field and it really opened my eyes.  Before I tell you who it was and what he said, I'll tell you a little information about myself so you understand the context. I am an Architectural Engineering student at the University of Wyoming that will graduate in May. Because of this my future career is something that has been on my mind a lot lately, so this interview really helped me plan for what lies ahead.

The man I interviewed is Michael Shaw. He was an Owner and the President of Perry & Shaw Inc. This company in a matter of 20 years grew to be one of the largest earth moving, contracting, and engineering firms in California.  He started Perry & Shaw in 1995 with his friend and work colleague Bud Perry.

When I spoke with Mike his knowledge and intelligence jumped through the phone.  It was obvious he enjoyed his work and missed his work since he is now retired. His main point was how important being a good writer was in his career, as he stated here, "the number one thing I contribute to my success in my career is my ability to successfully write and communicate."  He insisted that where engineers are failing these days is in their lack of writing abilities.  In this modern age of 3D modeling we have become dependent on images to tell our needs and stories but in the engineering industry professional writing is an skill that can set you apart. He also said, how the reason many engineers stay engineers and can't move on to running business or being project managers is there inability to communicate their needs with others whether it's through presentations or just written documents.

I have always just skimmed by in writing classes because I never considered writing an important skill in my industry but after speaking with Mike I realized the importance of being a good writer and presenter. I hope throughout the duration of this writing class and this blog my growth will become evident as I continue to work on my writing abilities.  I hope any other young engineers out there can read this and take this advice because this is what will set us apart when we get into the job market.