“Some colleagues asked me: what is the benefit for an engineer in joining such a competition? But on the personal development point of view it was fully worth it.” — Giuseppe Cotugno, software engineer

Giuseppe took part in the Artificial Intelligence Zone, talking to students about his role as a software engineer at Buhler Sortex and his PhD. He had participated in some public dissemination activities while working in a previous job as a researcher, but didn’t expect how much the I’m an Engineer experience would benefit him.

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An excellent opportunity to showcase your knowledge and to learn to do it clearly, in a persuasive and engaging way.

The art of communication
“Participating taught me to explain technical topics in an amusing way, without using a specialist glossary. It was an excellent opportunity for training in the art of communication.”

Giuseppe says the benefits of doing public outreach extend beyond academia. “Whether you work as a consultant, or you’re writing a book, or you are simply an employee, this competition is effectively an opportunity to showcase your knowledge and to learn to do it very clearly, in a persuasive and engaging way.”

Improved confidence in communicating
Answering students’ questions and working out the best way to communicate has helped Giuseppe professionally: “If you’re able to explain to a teenager how a software architecture is meant to interact in a bigger system, it is very likely that you will be able to persuade the project manager, the marketing department or a customer you are working with that your opinion is right.”

The future of engineering
Over the two weeks Giuseppe spoke to hundreds of school students and says he “got the feeling that my words were given primary importance by students… the decisions of future professionals could be affected by what I said; this gave me great satisfaction.”

To take part in a future I’m an Engineer event, apply now at imanengineer.org.uk/engineers/, or contact admin@imanengineer.org.uk for more information.