Profession: Engineer/Designer

Inspired by: As an engineer, I’m driven to understand the problem and find a solution. Often an elegant, simple solution I could design and develop must be passed over in favor of a more costly but immediately available commercial solution if schedule risk is critical. But once in a while, a commercial solution isn’t available or affordable given a project’s budget, and then I rapidly switch into design mode. Internally, it is extremely rewarding to create a solution to a problem. The search for a solution is fun, and demonstrating the solution works is exciting. Externally, I like helping people, and this is where I can be of most value. When a project manager or a fellow engineer has a vexing problem that I solve because of my skills and knowledge, I know I’ve take some stress out of their job, and I’ve made them happier and more successful. It’s a gift I can give while doing the job I was hired to do.