Engineering

What technical skill has provided the highest return on investment in your career? For me, learning how to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders has been just as valuable as any… more

Was there ever an engineering concept in school or at work that you could never get comfortable with understanding?

If you could permanently eliminate one workplace meeting from your calendar, which type would it be and why? I’d probably choose status meetings where everyone simply reads updates that could have bee… more

What’s one thing that gets easier with experience but nobody talks about? For me, it’s becoming comfortable saying, “I don’t know yet,” without feeling the need to immediately have an answer.

Lately, I've noticed it's been difficult to find work for someone who knows everything about construction and uses CAD systems. Is this true? Or am I doing something wrong?

What was the biggest mistake you made early in your career that ended up teaching you a valuable lesson? One of mine was assuming everyone interpreted requirements the same way I did. Learning to ask … more

Do you think engineering teams learn more from near-misses than actual failures? I think near-misses are underrated because they expose weaknesses without the full cost of an outage.

Obviously, no one expects a newly graduated hire to know everything during their first week, but early impressions stick. Question for the managers and senior engineers on here: What can a new grad do… more

What’s a sign that a project is healthier than it appears? For me, it’s when tough issues are discussed openly instead of quietly avoided.

Is it normal for workplaces to discourage lunch breaks? Nobody at my job takes one, even on slow days. I try to force myself to step away because it gives me a second wind. Also, when I skip lunch, I … more

Do you think engineers spend enough time thinking about the user experience of internal tools?
I’ve seen teams tolerate painful internal systems that they’d never ship to customers.

need help going for a assistant project engineering job with NRS can you help with some interview questions and how to answer and prepare

What is the transition like from being a utility engineer (mid-level) to working on the consulting side? My understanding is that the pay is good, the pace is fast, and there might be little time to e… more

Excited to share that I have successfully completed my Ph.D. defense in Environmental Engineering in South Korea. My degree will be officially awarded in August.
I am now actively looking for job oppor… more

💸 If you found out a coworker made significantly more than you for the same role, what would you do about it (if anything)?

What’s something you’ve changed your mind about in the last year? I’ve realized that getting alignment early is usually more valuable than finding the perfect solution.

I'm a junior engineer, but I inherited a project mid-construction because the designer left. I wasn't around for the early phases, but now I’m running the site meetings. I'm stressed about… more

I've been stuck in a pure maintenance cycle for six months, and I'm starting to feel like a script-runner instead of an engineer. I'm trying to move into a senior-level job, and I worry ab… more

Do you have something at your company that you feel is a waste of money or desperately in need of improvement?

What’s one engineering “best practice” that you think is actually overused or applied in situations where it doesn’t add much value?
For me, it’s excessive documentation on very small, low-risk changes… more

What’s one thing you wish you’d known before moving into a senior engineering role?
That the job becomes way more about communication than code. Nobody warned me how much time I’d spend writing docs, a… more

Where do you find your engineering knowledge comes in handy most outside of the office?

What’s something your team does today that future-you will probably question? I suspect every team has at least one process that only exists because nobody has challenged it recently.

A senior engineer on my team is leaving, and our manager sent a link for a farewell gift card. She mentored me when I was a junior, so I want to chip in, but I can't see what others are giving and… more

Do you think experience makes engineers more open-minded or more set in their ways? I’ve seen examples of both, but the best engineers seem to get more curious over time, not less.

Is a lack of company growth a warning sign? Nobody at my current workplace, where I just started, has been promoted in ages. It seems like the only way to get a title change is to hand in your two wee… more

What’s the biggest misconception people have about high-performing engineering teams? I think people assume they move faster, when often they just spend less time recovering from mistakes.

Got a apprenticeship at a 'great' company which has high job security. However the job is nothing like the description, the work is very boring, and their have been many broken promises (offered deg… more

How do you handle disagreements with your manager about technical decisions? I’ve learned to pick my battles and always come with data instead of opinions when I do push back. It doesn’t always work, … more

Do you think engineers are better at identifying risks or opportunities? I feel like we naturally gravitate toward risk detection, sometimes at the expense of seeing upside.

What’s the most overrated “best practice” in software engineering? For me it’s obsessing over code coverage percentages. A 90% coverage number means nothing if the tests aren’t actually testing meanin… more

💭 How/when do you disclose that you were let go from your last job in an interview?

I'm one year into my first engineering role post-MS. My manager is great and always asks what he can do to make my job easier or better. I usually just say "Nope, all good," but it feels… more

What’s a decision you were skeptical of at the time but turned out to be the right call? I’ve learned that some of the best decisions only make sense in hindsight.

I’ve been working in construction since I graduated 5 years ago. I’ve gradually realized I don't want to do this for the next 3 decades, but I feel stuck. Is it too late to switch engineering disc… more

What engineering discipline would you recommend new students specialize in (or avoid) given the current/future job market?

What’s a belief about engineering that you’ve become less certain about over time? I used to think every problem had a clear best solution. Now most seem like tradeoffs between imperfect options.

I'm a senior IC with over six years at my company, and nearing the end of my career. There are only two others at my level in our department. When I resign, how much notice is appropriate? Also, d… more

Do you think side projects actually matter when it comes to career growth in engineering? I go back and forth on it. They’ve helped me learn things I never would have touched at work, but I’ve also se… more

Do you think engineering teams spend enough time celebrating what went right? It feels like we dissect failures thoroughly but rarely study our successes.