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Materials Engineers

Skills

People in this career need to:

    Communicate
  • Read and understand work-related materials.
  • Listen to others, understand, and ask questions.
  • Express ideas clearly when speaking or writing.
    • Reason and Problem Solve
  • Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
  • Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
  • Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
  • Identify problems and review information. Develop, review, and apply solutions.
  • Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
  • Develop rules or follow guidelines for arranging items.
  • Think of new ideas and original or creative ways to solve problems.
  • Determine how a system should work. Study how changes in conditions affect outcomes.
  • Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
  • Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
  • Identify ways to measure and improve system performance.
    • Use Math and Science
  • Use math skills and scientific methods to solve problems.
    • Manage Oneself, People, Time and Things
  • Manage the time of self and others.
  • Check how well one is learning or doing something.
  • Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.
    • Work with People
  • Be aware of others' reactions and change behavior in relation to them.
  • Persuade others to approach things differently.
    • Work with Things
  • Determine the causes of technical problems and find solutions for them.
  • Determine the tools and equipment needed to do a job.
  • Test and inspect products, services, or processes. Evaluate quality or performance.
  • Design equipment and technology to meet user needs.
    • Perceive and Visualize
  • Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.
  • Imagine how something will look if it is moved around or its parts are rearranged.
  • Quickly and accurately compare letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns.

Knowledge

People in this career need knowledge in the following areas:

  • Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of how to build machines, buildings, and other things. Also includes knowledge of how to use computers, machines, and tools to do work more usefully.
  • Chemistry: Knowledge of the properties of substances and the changes that occur when they interact.
  • English Language: Knowledge of the meaning, spelling, and use of the English language.
  • Mathematics: Knowledge of the rules and uses of numbers. Areas of knowledge include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and statistics.
  • Physics: Knowledge of the features and rules of matter and energy. Areas of knowledge include air, water, light, heat, weather, and other natural events.

Interests

People in this career are people who tend to:

  • Consider support from their employer important. They like to be treated fairly and have supervisors who will back them up. They prefer jobs where they are trained well.
  • Consider good working conditions important. They like jobs offering steady employment and good pay. They want employment that fits their individual work style. They may prefer doing a variety of tasks, working alone, or being busy all the time.
  • Consider independence important. They like to make decisions and try out ideas on their own. They prefer jobs where they can plan their work with little supervision.
  • Consider achievement important. They like to see the results of their work and to use their strongest abilities. They like to get a feeling of accomplishment from their work.
  • Consider recognition important. They like to work in jobs which have opportunities for them to advance, be recognized for their work, and direct and instruct others. They usually prefer jobs in which they are looked up to by others.
  • Have investigative interests. They like work activities that have to do with ideas and thinking. They like to search for facts and figure out solutions to problems mentally.
  • Have realistic interests. They like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like to work with plants, animals, and physical materials such as wood, tools, and machinery. They often prefer to work outside.
  • Have enterprising interests. They like work activities that involve starting up and carrying out projects, especially in business. They like to lead and persuade others, make decisions, and take risks for profit.

Source: Minnesota Department of Education.