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Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students are expected to learn an overwhelming amount of information in order to graduate college; however, in today's job market, it takes more than simply understanding STEM concepts to be successful. In this text, Roger Forsgren-NASA's former chief knowledge officer-offers STEM students critical lessons within four main areas: being an introvert in an extroverts' world, communication skills, critical thinking, and ethics. Each chapter acts as a practical guide and includes actionable strategies and historical case studies-some surrounding engineering topics, some not-demonstrating essential knowledge for STEM graduates as they progress in their careers. While this book is specifically written for individuals in STEM, many college graduates will find value in it regardless of their degree. Chapter 1 begins by describing a stereotypical engineer's personality: curious, extremely logical, focused, practical, and orderly. An engineer's personality is typically that of an introvert, but we live in an extrovert's world. Rather than changing their personality, engineers need to learn to adapt and temporarily transform into ambiverts in order to succeed. Ambiverts recognize that they may have to set aside their introversion at times and speak up; advice is offered on how to have your voice be heard, including practicing beforehand, making eye contact, and volunteering to speak first. Three case studies are presented. The need to speak up is demonstrated through the NASA Challenger tragedy and a project for NASA's Hypersonic Test Facility. A case focusing on Herbert Hoover is also offered along with questions and discussion points.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students are expected to learn an overwhelming amount of information in order to graduate college; however, in today's job market, it takes more than simply understanding STEM concepts to be successful. In this text, Roger Forsgren-NASA's former chief knowledge officer-offers STEM students critical lessons within four main areas: being an introvert in an extroverts' world, communication skills, critical thinking, and ethics. Each chapter acts as a practical guide and includes actionable strategies and historical case studies-some surrounding engineering topics, some not-demonstrating essential knowledge for STEM graduates as they progress in their careers. While this book is specifically written for individuals in STEM, many college graduates will find value in it regardless of their degree. Chapter 2 discusses the importance of building communication skills. Communication skills are vital for everyone in their careers, but both old and new engineers struggle with this. Suggestions on how to write professionally are outlined, such as including a clear thesis statement, being aware of tone, and avoiding the use of pronouns. Ultimately, professional writing should be as direct and simple as possible. Tips on speechmaking and giving presentations are also offered, including being prepared but not overprepared, sharing something about yourself at the beginning, and recognizing that the audience wants you to be successful. In all communication, concision is key. The three case studies in this chapter share stories of a fire at Mann Gulch, NASA's Mars Surveyor 1998 program, and how Lee's lack of communication skills may have affected the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students are expected to learn an overwhelming amount of information in order to graduate college; however, in today's job market, it takes more than simply understanding STEM concepts to be successful. In this text, Roger Forsgren-NASA's former chief knowledge officer-offers STEM students critical lessons within four main areas: being an introvert in an extroverts' world, communication skills, critical thinking, and ethics. Each chapter acts as a practical guide and includes actionable strategies and historical case studies-some surrounding engineering topics, some not-demonstrating essential knowledge for STEM graduates as they progress in their careers. While this book is specifically written for individuals in STEM, many college graduates will find value in it regardless of their degree. Chapter 3 focuses on the need for critical thinking skills. Socrates taught critical thinking skills and techniques; he asked focused questions to confirm the logic and determine the validity of an idea. He would examine the premise, challenge the assumption, examine the logic, consider motivations, and think through the implications. Being aware of our own limitations is also vital to critical thinking skills. Emotion can get in the way of critical thinking, and while intuition is real, it can be dangerous for an engineer to rely on intuition. Recognizing cognitive biases is essential to developing critical thinking skills; several cognitive biases are outlined, including overconfidence bias, hindsight bias, and sunk cost effect bias. Case studies looking at sudden infant death syndrome in the early 1900s and the protection of Allied planes during World War II are offered.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students are expected to learn an overwhelming amount of information in order to graduate college; however, in today's job market, it takes more than simply understanding STEM concepts to be successful. In this text, Roger Forsgren-NASA's former chief knowledge officer-offers STEM students critical lessons within four main areas: being an introvert in an extroverts' world, communication skills, critical thinking, and ethics. Each chapter acts as a practical guide and includes actionable strategies and historical case studies-some surrounding engineering topics, some not-demonstrating essential knowledge for STEM graduates as they progress in their careers. While this book is specifically written for individuals in STEM, many college graduates will find value in it regardless of their degree. Chapter 4 starts by describing the human brain's prefrontal cortex and how it provides humans with a conscience and the ability to intrinsically know ethical behavior. Morals are personal beliefs we try to guide our lives by, and ethics are societal or organizational rules to regulate behavior. While morals and ethics are often complimentary, they can conflict. Morals and ethics, not just data, must be taken into account in an engineer's work. Several questions are offered in order to determine whether or not a situation is a moral issue and to make ethical decisions. The three case studies provided describe the Volkswagen emissions scandal (Dieselgate), NASA's Apollo 12 mission, and Albert Speer's work for Nazi Germany.