What was the biggest mistake you made early in your career that ended up teaching you a valuable lesson? One of mine was assuming everyone interpreted requirements the same way I did. Learning to ask clarifying questions saved me from a lot of rework. What’s yours?

Obviously, no one expects a newly graduated hire to know everything during their first week, but early impressions stick. Question for the managers and senior engineers on here: What can a new grad do in those first few days to make you incredibly glad you hired them? What sets them apart early on?

It took me a long time to say it out loud, but I regret choosing this path. The pay is stable, but the constant pressure and lack of fulfillment are leaving me feeling like I'm ready to exit. I’m actually thinking about a total career change later in life. Has anyone successfully walked away from engineering after a decade plus?

What engineering discipline would you recommend new students specialize in (or avoid) given the current/future job market?

Lately, I've noticed it's been difficult to find work for someone who knows everything about construction and uses CAD systems. Is this true? Or am I doing something wrong?