Structures, water, computers, languages and people (not necessarily in this order)

Are introverts likely to succeed at becoming good engineers?

I am afraid  engineering schools are statistically skewed towards introverts because the ability to avoid social distractions is helpful to gain some hard skills. The traditional  engineering curriculum is weak in chances for students to understand the importance of networking and social awareness. However, life after university offers a more balanced variety of choices.


There are jobs where you are working alone most of the time in a cubicle and you spend your whole day designing and calculating so your social interactions are limited to a few guys similar to you. But there are jobs that require frequent discussions, meetings and visits.Being extrovert is a good quality to have in  engineering jobs that require dealing with all sorts of people or selling an idea to decision-makers that lack a technical background.
Being an introvert is a good quality to have in order to be in solitude for long readings and independent research in a quiet room.

The statistical relationship between personality style and income seems inconclusive. You just have to find your path. According to my experience, techies who are in the middle of extraversion and introversion depending on the situation, this is, nuanced personalities, composed of both types, tend to be the most valuable team members, the glue people.

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