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If you are not an engineer, you might feel that there are many misconceptions surrounding your engineering friends. The following debunks the most common fallacies about engineers.
1- Engineers Are Naturally Good At Math
That is simply not true. Although the work environment has progressively made engineers really good at math, being naturally good at math does not qualify you as an engineer.
Being good at math is something that happens through practice, and the truth is not all engineers are good at math. Most engineers rely on their calculators and programs to do those difficult calculations.
For more, read: Can I Be an Engineer If I’m Bad At Math?
2- Engineers Do Not Make Mistakes
This is the shock. Everything around you was either designed or made by an engineer. You would expect it to be perfect, but that is not always the case.
Cases of engineering failures are common and happen more often than you think. This is not because engineers are not smart enough but because some issues might not be known at the time of making, and those mistakes are only known after a failure. This is why engineering and science are ever-evolving fields.
Engineers do complicated things, so finding those mistakes is not always possible, even with the most innovative team of engineers working on those problems.
Bridges fall, smartphones explode, and computers breakdowns its because engineers make mistakes with some that have serious consequences.
3- Engineers Lack Social Skills
Another misconception about engineers is that they lack social life and have no friends. Engineers are quite interesting people and can make many friendships easily. And yes, they do hang out with people who are not engineers.
Most engineers might be more on the quiet end, but that does not mean they lack social skills. To learn more, read: Are Engineers Introverts?
4- Engineers Are Boring & Depressed
Engineers are probably one of the most interesting people you will meet. They always have interesting stories to share and are inherently good at problem-solving, so they will listen to your problems and offer help. For more, read: Is Engineering Boring and Repetitive? Real Engineer Opinion
5- Engineering Is Not For Women
Although men are the dominant sex in all engineering professions, that does not mean there are no female engineers. Female engineers comprise around 14% of the workforce today.
This figure has been on an upward trend for the last 2 decades. In a few years, there will be even more women in engineering, making up at least 30% of the workforce.
Women can innovate as much as men, and the notion that engineering is not for women is untrue.
6- Engineers Are Not Funny
Maybe you have not been around engineers to realise that they are funny. They will take every moment to come up with funny references about anything. Not convinced? Just check What People Think Of Engineers? Expectations Vs Reality.
7- Engineers Like To Fix Everything
Engineers certainly will not try to fix everything they see. However, it is in their nature to improve and fix things. Maybe you should just let them solve your problems. It is more likely they will find solutions to problems you did not know existed.
8- Engineers Stuck In An Office All Day
Maybe that one is true for some, but not all. Most engineers have a very exciting job, making them go places and see some interesting things. Sitting in front of the computer all day is not true and defiantly not what engineers do all day.
