<p>Specifically, Computer Engineering. I know math would be up there, but then again engineers are not mathematicians. In your opinion what are the top 5 skills one can posess in Computer Engineering? Would you rather hire a genius mathematician or an expert computer guru who has solid math skills? What makes engineers so sought after?</p>
<p>Persistence?</p>
<p>Talking
Finding the right manager
Bailing out of a project when the glory is up and blame is down
Taking the credit of others
Passing the blame
: : :</p>
<p>Problem solving. Figuring out how to get from where you are to where you want to be.</p>
<p>The ability to complete the degree program</p>
<p>^^good one. I believe it is persistance too because there will be times where you want to just give up and switch to a “fun” major. Persistence will make you remember it’s all worth it.</p>
<ol>
<li>The ability to learn quickly.
1A. Work ethic.</li>
</ol>
<p>That, and turbo’s list</p>
<p>Persistence is #1. You can be the smartest person in the world but if you are the kind of person who gives up easily once things start to get difficult, you are never going to make it.</p>
<p>I heard this statistic by a college professor-he believes that 99% of people who start in Engineering have the intelligence necessary to complete the degree- yet almost 50% dropout and or change majors.</p>
<p>^Above post reminded me of my favorite engineer-inspired “motivational” poster.
[Inspiration</a> Demotivator® - Demotivational posters from Despair.com](<a href=“http://www.despair.com/inspiration.html]Inspiration”>Inspiration - Despair, Inc.)</p>
<p>Great post. Mother of a future Engineer (hopefully)</p>
<p>I’ve been doing this stuff for 30 years. When interviewing people for software jobs, here’s what I look for -</p>
<p>1) Nobody knows everything, and I’m not expecting Einsteins or gurus. I prefer generally smart people who have the basic technical knowledge to learn new skills.</p>
<p>2) Being able to work with others. Don’t be a know-it-all, don’t try to elevate yourself by constantly criticizing the work of others. It doesn’t matter how good you are technically - if nobody can work with you, you’re a cancer on the team and you’ll do more harm than good. Anyone who comes in and starts bad-mouthing former employers or colleagues won’t get an offer.</p>
<p>3) Be upfront about your limitations. You’ll put a project at risk by taking on something you know nothing about. You’ll likely do it wrong before you do it right, and it wreaks havoc on engineering schedules.</p>
<p>4) The ability to see things from the customer’s perspective. The point isn’t to write beautiful code. It’s to put out something that people can use.</p>
<p>BTW - math, especially calculus, isn’t used nearly as much as most people think. I’ve gotten along fine knowing matrix math, some trig, and perhaps surprisingly, probability and statistics.</p>