Juan, Regina May C.

Supervised Industrial Training

BSCE - 5A Engr. Juan Paulo Bersamina

Application of
“The Unwritten Laws of Engineering” By W. J. King
(continuation)

“The Unwritten Laws of Engineering” by W. J. King was published in 1994 divided into three
articles in Mechanical Engineering magazine. It was printed as a book and became classic engineering
literature. James G. Skakoon then made additions and revisions to the article.

As civil engineering students, being able to experience on-site training is very important for us. However,
supervised industrial training was delayed due to the occurrence of the Covid-19 Pandemic and we were
left with no choice but to complete our training from the comfort of our home. Nevertheless, these
unwritten laws become valuable as we continue to learn and work with superiors and other students.
Below are the 13th to 24th unwritten laws stated in October 2010 issue related to engineers’ work,
supervisor, with colleagues and outsiders. Along with these are my thoughts based on my experience so
far as a student trainee in IDU and on how I will apply these principles in my future career as an engineer.

One of the most valuable personal traits is the ability to get along with all kinds of people.
It is very important for us to be able to communicate with other people. Of course, it is one thing
when we know how to approach other people but to be able to get along with them will be very important
especially in the working environment as it will affect the service of the whole team.

Never underestimate the extent of your professional responsibility and personal liability.
Engineers should always keep in mind that their profession comes with great responsibility as it
covers the publics’ safety and comfort.

Let ethical behavior govern your actions and those of your company.
There will be times that engineers experience usual ambiguities and quandaries, but engineers
should always be ethical. This would be a very important reminder to us engineering students that despite
being placed in a situation where we could be tempted with any form of bribes in our future career, we
should never sacrifice one’s safety for anything.

Be aware of the effect that your personal appearance and behavior have on others and, in turn, on you.
As someone whose profession requires meeting new people, an engineer should always be
confident and presentable in order to maintain a good working image.

Beware of what you commit to writing and of who will read it.
This is very important to know as someone who will work with different clients in the future.
Engineers should always be aware of everyone who’s going to read his/her designs for their legal safety in
case something went wrong.

Analyze yourself and your subordinates.

In order to maintain an effective and peaceful working environment, people should consider the
fact that everyone is different and should always be respectful towards each other no matter what.

Maintain your employability as well as that of your subordinates.

As an engineering student, learning does not end after passing the licensure exam. We must gain
new skills and knowledge as we gain new experiences in order to maintain good services not only for the
clients but also for the company.

The 25th and 32nd unwritten laws helped me to understand the importance of being able to
communicate with other people in the industry I wanted to be in. This will be very helpful for me to be a
good engineer in the future.