Soft skills you need to succeed as a senior electrical engineer

In any career, it’s easy to get tunnel-vision and apply more weight to the development of technical skills.

What many fail to recognize is the importance of fostering your soft skills; that is, the non-technical skills you can develop to help you move through your career.

A successful engineer—one whose career sees them launched to a senior position—is likely to be someone who’s spent time and effort developing both their technical and soft skill sets.

Undoubtedly, these are the types of professionals that we are proud to say work at AtkinsRéalis and the ones whose work really makes a difference.

If you’re an experienced electrical engineer, you might be wondering if you’re ready to progress your career to a senior level. There is an abundance of opportunities in the world of electrical engineering and pursuing a senior position is certainly a worthwhile ambition.

Assuming you’ve got the technical skills under your belt, let’s turn to the less obvious soft skills that senior electrical engineers need in today’s world.

5 successful senior electrical engineer skills

Communication

The most successful senior electrical engineers are those who are skilled at expressing themselves clearly, listening actively, hearing feedback and being able to take it on board.

Not only do strong communication skills benefit an engineer’s professional relationships, but they also act as a catalyst for learning other technical and non-technical skills—thereby increasing the likelihood of a promotional path that leads to a senior electrical engineering role.

Teamwork

Being able to work fluidly and comfortably within a team will make any electrical engineer stand out and is especially important for someone working at a senior level.

Professionals who have spent time honing in on the soft skill of teamwork are more likely to:

• Thrive when cooperating with others
• Be respectful of matters of diversity
• Contribute to their working environment in a positive, helpful way

Leadership

As well as working within a team, senior electrical engineers must feel confident and competent in adopting a leadership position. 

So, what does a senior electrical engineer do that other junior and mid-level staff don’t?

A senior electrical engineer’s job is to be the department’s higher authority, making decisions and delegating tasks to other members of staff. In this role, they’ll be the one who motivates, inspires, and guides the junior and mid-level staff.

Problem-solving

When faced with a problem—be it technical, logistical, or even big-picture environmental issues—a senior electrical engineer’s skills in analyzing and solving issues without becoming overwhelmed is crucial.

Having the capacity to troubleshoot problems and break them down into their component parts is an important function of a senior engineer; and while finding resolutions matters too, the senior engineer isn’t expected to be all-knowing. 

Sometimes, the most effective way of resolving a problem is to delegate it to a member of your team who has a specific expertise or knowledge base that the presenting problem calls for.

Knowing when to take the reigns and when to delegate is an integral senior electrical engineering skill.

Project management

The soft skill of project management is an essential part of any senior electrical engineer’s toolkit. This includes a whole subset of skills such as planning, organizing, and carrying out projects within a timely manner—and according to budget constraints.

Project management is a far-reaching soft skill that’s inextricably linked to the other skills we’ve listed above: communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving.

Unlock senior electrical engineering opportunities today

Do you feel ready to progress your electrical engineering career to a senior level? 

AtkinsRéalis is the perfect place for engineers to develop their professional skill sets and move their careers forward.

We firmly believe in supporting innovative, qualified, experienced professionals to achieve more in their careers—and if that’s you, we’d love for you to explore the electrical engineering jobs in Canada with us today.