Professional Practice Engineering

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Professional Practice Engineering

About me

I am Aian, and my Student Identification Number is 118899. I grew up in Bichah. Currently, I am undertaking a Graduate degree course in Electrical Engineering at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). Growing up, I have developed a keen interest in becoming an electrical engineer. I was more interested in watching television programs that gave me an opportunity to learn more about this field of study. I have been able to assist my father in some of the electrical engineering jobs in the construction company that he owns. I have also been able to watch as some of the workers perform their tasks, thereby learning slowly about some of the practical requirements in this profession. After my high school studies, I was able to enroll in Yambu Industrial College where I studied Electrical Power Technology for three and a half years. This further developed my interest in electrical studies, which led me to enroll at UTS for the course I am currently undertaking. My key areas of focus have been control, power systems, and energy. In these areas of focus, the objectives include enhancing my research skills, applying theoretical knowledge in the practical field, and effective performance in my assigned occupations.

My Experience

My internship program lasted for 14 weeks, from 28/02/2009 to 27/05/2009. Tasks designated to me included overseeing distribution of electric currents as well as providing maintenance faults situations. Under the supervision of the SAC engineers, I was able to acquire the following skills:

Communicating Effectively

In any organization, communication is a crucial element for the success of operations. Effective relaying of information will not only make work easier for the workers but also increase efficiency and productivity (Semadeni 23). For the learning process, I was required to learn how to communicate the relevant information to the right parties in order for them to take action. I was also able to articulate my thoughts or ideas in a way that my co-workers and those that I worked for understood. Aside from the professional setting, I was able to be effective in other forms of communication that fostered a good relationship with those I worked with. Such an advantage allowed people to be able to provide effective and creative solutions, while avoiding conflicts, which may have resulted in stress and an unhealthy working environment. As such, I was able to make a larger contribution in the workplace through effective communication. In the practical sense, I was able to incorporate my improved communication skills in the following areas:

1. Handling complaints about power outage over the phone
2. Professional dialogue with fellow colleagues
3. Sharing concerns during work meetings
4. Effective intercommunication with company customers

Some of my responsibilities included filling work permits as well as outage requests. Due to the sensitivity of this work as well as the high expectations required, a high level of proficiency was required. Permits were to be filled in clear, brief, and articulate language that was easy for supervisors as well as other receivers to understand. I was also required to be verbally eloquent in my delivery of messages during dialogue with my supervisors. During this internship experience, my verbal communication skills were sharpened tremendously because of frequent communication with technicians, supervisors, and colleagues. Subsequently, I was able to draft recommendation letters of some of the solutions of such issues as power outage. Here, I was able to enhance my writing skills.

Using the correct terminologies relevant to the work was crucial to message delivery. A high level of clarity, professional language, and brevity was required. I was able to look at the bigger picture while establishing my objectives for the company, which was to ensure that all stakeholder requirements are met. Aside from communication, I believe that industriousness was a key element that allowed me to increase productivity. From these experiences, I was able to evaluate some of my weaknesses, which I plan to improve on should I have an opportunity to apply my educational experiences practically. I also plan to apply my practical experiences in a blog, which I will be able to share with those who have similar engineering interests as me.

Demonstrating Commitment to Life-long Learning and Professional Development

The process through which an individual gains, learns, and becomes experienced in personal and professional control is referred to as the life-long learning and professional development. Through learning, an individual is able to advance him or herself and achieve all the personal, academic and professional goals they have set (Bates 511). They are able to sharpen their skills and expertise, and knowledge. I feel that one of the best ways to achieve these goals is to become aware of all the operations relevant to my tasks. Through asking questions, I will be able to acquire clarifications in areas that may present challenges in learning. I have come to realize that the professional and academic lives are two very different entities of learning, and I feel that the internship was able to provide me with insight on professional environment.

One of the major differences is that the work place presents many challenges as well as opportunities to learn. I would gain a better understanding of machinery through practical use. I was required to undergo a learning procedure at the company in order to obtain the basic knowledge of operations, which I would then use later. My supervisor was able to provide elaborate explanations of my job description. Despite not understanding them all at once, I was patient and knew that once I embarked in the practical work, I would be able to become more conversant. I wrote down important points in a notebook, which I would use as future reference. I was eager to learn as much as possible during this period. Therefore, I requested my supervisor to provide me with some of the learning materials. My supervisor was impressed by my zealousness, and commended me.

I realized the importance of self-evaluation as part of the professional learning process. A learner is able to pin point their specific areas of weakness in order to improve. I was able to arrange with my fellow colleagues on how I would obtain feedback as to my performance in the workplace. In addition to this, I tried to keep updated on new information through reading relevant articles and attending conferences that covered power systems technology. I also became a part of the Engineers Australia as a means of promoting my lifelong commitment to the profession. I have also subscribed to newsletters and regular materials that are relevant in keeping me informed about power systems.

Being flexible, Multitasking, and Being Consistent

I believe that the ability to take control of oneself in the process of professional development is instrumental in achieving success. This is applicable in the process of time management, personal motivation, and management of oneself. Through making observations of my superiors, I was able to adopt some of the measures they use to manage themselves. Gordon Ramsay is one such entrepreneur that has provided insight on time management to people. In UTS, I had the opportunity to undertake a project management course, which assisted me in developing some of the self-management experiences. In was able to gain a better understanding of the life cycle of a project.

I was also able to gain knowledge on contractual, legal, and managerial requirements of a firm. I gained theoretical and practical knowledge on fields such as project delivery, organizational framework, management of risks, project definition, and timing, and modern practices of project management, among others (Bates 514). Within the context of time and resource management, self-management can be applied in similar ways except that people and organizations are involved. I was able to sharpen my skills through the Microsoft Project through tasks such as resource allocation and evaluation of performance.

This was an improvement from the Microsoft Excel, which was more time consuming and more complex. Hence, I was able to recommend this application to my supervisor. I made a careful elaboration of how the program works as well as mentioned its benefits over the MS Excel. I was confident that this was one of the major milestones of my career development. Self-management helps me to save on time, which I can use for other constructive tasks. I have taken advantage of various applications that allow me to manage my time, such as the Google calendar. I have not only been able to save on time but also on my resources (money).

Working As a Leader of Diverse Teams within a Multi-Level, Multi-Disciplinary and Multi-Cultural Setting

During my education and working experience, I have come to realize that working as a team has a number of benefits. Teamwork saves on time and effort of all the members involved. In many of the tasks that I performed, I realized that working as a team actually helps one to achieve more than when they were working alone. Team elements that promote success include establishment of objectives, being time conscious, development of respect for others, and developing manners in appropriate for a group setting. Characteristics of a good team member include agility that enables them to adjust to different environments. Being able to relate to other team members in an appropriate way is essential to the completion of tasks. This includes being comfortable around others, being friendly, and developing mutual respect and trust for them. I had the opportunity to work with different groups of people, where I learnt some common rules of engaging in activities that are aligned with the tasks’ goals. These included frequent meetings, respect, time management, among several other requirements.

I also learnt that there is need for a leader in the team who will be able to allocate and oversee tasks for each member. Here, the team leader was able to set a time limit, to which we were required to adhere. I remember a time when the team leader briefed us on a certain type of task. We were required to meet after lunch in order to be given further information on the work. However, two members showed up late for the meeting. This led to people beginning without sufficient communication. As a result, there was overall less than satisfactory performance in the task for each member. We were thus required to repeat the task. I learnt that the inability to perform from one member will likely result in unsatisfactory performance for the rest of the group members. Globalization has enabled people from different backgrounds to interact with one another even in a professional setting.

Many managers see the ability to communicate and relate with others as a positive attribute that enables professional development. This is no exception in the field of engineering, where professionals can be posted in different parts of the world. Personally, I come from Saudi Arabia, but have been able to interact with people from Sudan, Egypt, Philippines, Pakistan, India, among other regions. I was able to learn how these people incorporate cultural expectations into their professional goals. During my internship, I related with workmates from Sudan and Pakistan, who proved to be extremely generous and helpful in assisting me with the learning process. Through this experience, I became more open minded in relating to people who come from different racial, cultural, religious, and ethnic background from mine.

Demonstrating Commitment to Uphold the Engineers Australia – Code of Ethics, And Established Norms of Professional Conduct Pertinent To the Engineering Discipline

Moral and Ethics is a crucial and mandatory requirements of the workplace. The code of ethics is a standard and legal measure of how people conduct themselves in the professional environment. Through this code, decision makers are able to make pragmatic decision designed to benefit all stakeholders of the firm. The guidelines also assists professionals to make decisions concerning steps to take to deliver all the ethical and moral requirements. There are four main fields of the code of ethics, which can be applied in the engineering field:

1. Demonstration of Integrity
2. Competent Practices
3. Exercise of Leadership
4. Promotion of Sustainability

Demonstration of Integrity: This can be referred to the moral disposition of an individual. It involves having a clear conscience, as well as behaving appropriately in front of others. Integrity requires people to be considerate of other people’s interests in relation to those of oneself. People should also treat others with dignity and respect of them as well as their property and space.

Competent Practices: Professionals are required to have an extensive body of knowledge regarding their area of focus in the workplace. Competence also involves the ability to apply this knowledge in the process of achieving objectives while being prudent enough to seek assistance in challenging areas.

Exercise of Leadership: As a prestigious and noble profession, engineering professionals are required to maintain a superior reputation that is consistent with the work done. Leadership can be exercised through promoting diversity in both the workplace as well as within the community.

Promotion of Sustainability: As a practical course, engineering activities often involve operations that develop the community as well as contribute to environmental resource depletion.

As such, sustainability becomes a critical issue that enables professionals to balance utilization of resources and conservation (Semadeni 46). Code of ethics involves requires making the environment safe for others. Sustainability also involves saving on time and energy which can then be put to better use in the future. For instance, when I discovered that MS Project was less time consuming than MS Excel, I decided to share this information with my supervisors and colleagues so that members within the organization can save more time when working. I plan to improve my competency in this field through reviewing some of the Australian case studies from the past.

Be Able To Apply the New Workplace Health and Safety Legislation

In engineering, like many other industries, environmental safety regulations are important to adhere to in order to safeguard the health and well-being of workers. The Australian Health and Safety Regulations comprise of the following categories:

• Occupational Health Safety and Welfare (OHS&W) Act
• Occupational Health Safety and Welfare (OHS&W) Regulations
• Occupational Health Safety and Welfare (OHS&W) (approved codes of practice)

The Occupational Health Safety and Welfare (OHS&W) Act provides a description of the procedures to be followed to prevent hazards. The act is a provision for all workers, and managers are required to make it easily accessible. The Occupational Health Safety and Welfare (OHS&W) Regulations are responsible for preventing accident related situations within the working environment because of negligence. The Occupational Health Safety and Welfare (OHS&W) approved codes are implemented to ensure that engineers adhere to the regulation, failure to which legal measures may be taken.

As a professional engineer to be, I intend to become conversant and understand all the requirements of the Occupational Health Safety and Welfare (OHS&W) act in order to become more competent in my undertakings. My internship experience at the SAC allowed me to learn the importance of adhering to these regulations. Each member of the firm was keen to ensure strict code of conduct. Leaders within the firm, such as supervisors were in constant communication about new adjustments regarding safety standards within the organization. In addition, safety tests were used as a measure to evaluate how keen workers were in ensuring their safety and those of others. I was able to provide recommendations of training programs that allowed people to gain more understanding of the health and safety standards.

Ability to Integrate Theory and Practice

Several skills are required by a professional engineer to solve problems. In engineering, it constitutes the most important aspect of professional growth. Knowledge, experience, communication and motivation are key prerequisites in the process of problem solving (Bates 515). In order to solve problems, a good electrical engineer also needs analytical skills, which assist him or her to evaluate situation from a pragmatic point of view. Foremost, definition of problems will reveal the scale and materials needed. Secondly, an engineer needs to establish a connection between what is known and what is unknown through research. During the process of filling in maintenance requests, I was able to evaluate some of the problems in order to find solutions that I would use as recommendations.

I needed to align my educational experience, which I obtained from UTS to carry out my professional tasks. The professional world today has changed significantly from what it was decades ago. Intercultural interactions have enabled me to gain a critical understanding of what it means to be accommodative and open minded towards others who are different from me. Besides my professional experience, I have grown up in Saudi Arabia and studied in Australia, which has helped me to experience different cultures outside of a work setting. I am planning to improve myself in both my professional and social skills in order to become a better electrical engineer in the future. I intend to achieve this through continuous learning, self-evaluation, and endeavour to interact with as many different people as possible.

Works cited

Bates, Tony. “Professional Learning in Professional Communities: The Ultimate Goal”. Professional Development in Education 38.4 (2012): 511-516. Print.

Semadeni, Joseph H. Taking Charge of Professional Development. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD, 2009. Print.