1. Clarence Wong, M.Sc., P.Eng. Education:Bachelor Degree in Architectural Engineering, California USA Master Degree in Civil Engineering, California USA Work Structural Engineering in California, Hong Experience: Kong and Vancouver, BC. Currently working as Project Manager for GENIVAR Inc. Other APEGBC – Registration Interviews Activities: Mentoring Programs by APEGBC, S.U.C.C.E.S.S, and ISSBC

2. “Employers look for Technical Skills, Hire for Attitude and Employability.” A discussion by: Clarence Wong, P.Eng.

3. Technical Skills Basic requirement to practice Engineering work ‘Given’ and ‘Expected’

4. “Employers look for technical skills, but hire for Attitude and Employability.” Attitude & Employability Non-Technical Skills “Soft” Skills

5. Some believe the non-technical skills are JUST as important as the technical skills, if not MORE important. Borrowing from APEGBC’s online resource for Internationally Trained Engineers

6. In a US study of engineering firms by Gushgari, Francis and Sakiou (1997), the most critical skills for engineering project managers, in order of importance, are: 1.Communication11. Result orientation 2.Listening12. Financial Management 3.Project Management13. Time Management 4.Decision Making14. Technical Knowledge 5.Leadership and motivation15. Negotiating 6.Problem Solving16. Personal adaptability 7.Quality Management17. Administration 8.Organizing18. Project Acquisition 9.Delegating19. Creativity 10. Planning and Goal Setting20. Risk taking

7. What are“Attitude & Employability skills”? “Soft” skills? Group them in: Communication Professional Skills Attitude and Traits

8. COMMUNICATION Listening Speaking Writing Gesture

9. PROFESSIONAL SKILLS Meeting commitment Time Management Team Participation Business Management Project Management Making the complex simple Multicultural understanding Leadership

10. ATTITUDE AND TRAITS Engineers need to develop principal attitudes and traits. Anticipating needs, problems and opportunities Observing the environment in which we work & live Attitudes towards ourselves and co-workers Fairness and directness when dealing with people Reliability of proposed solutions Ethical behavior at all times Proactive approach instead of sitting on the sidelines and waiting

11. Hire for attitude and employability. What job interviewers like to know: You have the skills to do the job. Not only technical skills, but soft skills You fit in You understand the company and its purpose You stack up against the competition You have the right mind set for the job and the company You want the job You are flexible, able to multi-task, and can adapt to changes You are a team player

12. Conclusion - Soft Skills Not just finding a job, but keeping it It’s easier to teach technical skills than ‘soft skills’ Among those qualities, what they are looking for is: “A fierce sense of OPTIMISM" “A POSITIVE attitude”