Quote: “I contend that we (engineers) are undervalued because of our widespread inability to explain what we do to the general public (and why it is so important).It is one of the hardest goals to accomplish, to be able to boil down difficult concepts into a short and easily understood presentation or elevator pitch.”
Marybeth Miceli, President, Miceli Infrastructure Consulting, USA (2011)
Interpretation: In the engineering field, there are many types of specializations. Ranging from mechanical, marine, aerospace to software engineering, and etc. When it comes to explaining our specific engineering concepts, it is obvious to the general public who don't major in any engineering field to think that all specialized engineering falls into the same basic category and topic which is “Engineering”. Hence it misled them and failed to truly understand our actual range of operations. To add on, not all engineering fields are the same. Especially when it comes to Software Engineering, it doesn’t truly involve the physical and chemical concepts like metals and acids. It’s more towards mathematical science and logic. Therefore, it's far different from other kinds of common engineering.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. The challenge that we face is that people outside the engineering field fails to recognize the depth and breadth of our work. The misunderstanding can lead to underappreciation from shaping the world. As engineers, I feel that we need to strive to convey the essence of our work, breaking it down on explanations so that this resonates with the public.
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