Can engineers fix the world?

“If you've got the opportunity to achieve a high level of expertise and acquire skills in a specific field, then it's worthwhile specialising, but it can be rewarding to develop skills, acquire knowledge and explore different points of view in several areas that are often highly complementary.”

“My career path actually straddles a number of disciplines, which enables to me communicate with professionals in many different fields. It's extremely rewarding, because you can work on a wide range of projects. But with each project, we need to work with experts specialising in each field. So I think it's important to have both types of profile on board when leading a project, and it will depend on everyone's interests.”

“It's important to cover several different fields and maintain an open mind, but there will come a time when you'll need to explore an area in greater detail. Specialization obviously refers to the degree of technical skills, but it can also relate to a given sector 
(“I'm fascinated with the oceans”) or soft skills: I love writing, I love meeting people, etc. Find a job that ticks all those boxes!”

“Being an all-rounder develops an open mind and the ability to help and adapt to others. Specialising will enable you to become an expert, and your skills will prove invaluable for stimulating discussions and driving innovation. So let's be free to focus on the areas where our greatest skills lie!”

“It depends on everyone's temperament and interests. An allrounder profile would be ideal for meeting the many different needs of an innovative startup or consultancy, whereas a more specialised profile would be especially suited to the specific needs of an engineering department within a small business, mid-cap or large organisation.”

“Experts and all-rounders may be highly different, but they dovetail perfectly. Try to feel what suits you the best and head in that direction.”