Most Important Skills for a System Engineer at Raytheon Technologies
A Raytheon Technologies System Engineer emphasizes that problem-solving skills, encompassing creative approaches and adaptability, are crucial, exceeding the importance of specific technical expertise. Strong interpersonal and communication skills are equally vital, as the role demands effective briefings to diverse audiences, ranging from senior leadership to field technicians, requiring tailoring the information to the specific audience's knowledge level.
Problem-Solving, Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Creativity, Technical Skills
Advizer Information
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Cesar Cabrera
System Engineer
Raytheon Technologies
California State University, Long Beach
N/A
Engineering - Mechanical
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense, Government & Public Sector
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Honors Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Problem-solving skills: The ability to approach problems creatively is crucial, as on-the-job training often focuses on practical application rather than theoretical knowledge.
2. Communication skills: Presenting technical information clearly to diverse audiences (senior leadership, finance teams, technicians) is essential, adapting the level of detail to the audience's expertise.
3. Interpersonal skills: Working effectively with individuals possessing varying levels of technical expertise, from PhD-level experts to field technicians, is vital for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
One of the biggest things you need is the ability to problem-solve. This is something that's not always heavily focused on in undergraduate studies.
While you might need to be good at calculus or know engineering principles for specific analyses, that's not always the core requirement. You just need to understand how to approach a problem.
Much of our training is on-the-job. We don't have a lot of official training programs. Being creative is a huge asset, as are soft skills in general.
You need to be able to speak publicly because we do a lot of briefings for senior leadership. Our programs are like different projects, and at every stage, you need to brief someone, whether they are above or below you.
You also need to understand how to tailor these briefings. Some are very technical, while others are basic. For instance, if briefing the finance team for test funding, they don't need all the nitty-gritty details.
Interpersonal skills are also massive. You'll talk to many different people, sometimes one-on-one. You might be discussing specific test details with someone with a PhD or talking to a technician in the field who lacks the expert knowledge you or your team has.
Being creative and knowing how to handle ambiguity is critical. Not everything is straightforward, and you need to be comfortable exploring different avenues and taking on roles that are outside your comfort zone. Having these soft and critical thinking skills will take you very far.