External Engineering

[dextersmith]

What is that? Google wasn't helpful, can someone describe what they typically do or are qualified to do, and what skills they inhabit please?

[Kuntantee]

This worst profession name I've ever heard. It describes nothing.

[Deleted]

It's the exact opposite of internal engineering.

[Conspicuous Cultist]

This is what Indeed.com yields when I type that in: http://www.indeed.co.uk/External-Engineer-jobs

[BananaHandsB]

I'm an engineer. I went to an engineering school with over 14 different engineering disciplines. None of them were "external". That's far too vague. Engineering disciplines are much more specific. External could mean virtually anything. As far as I know there's no such thing as "external engineering". It might be a phrase vaguely used in engineering somewhere, but it's not a real discipline.

[Darsithis]

The best info I can find is relating to supply chains and warehousing.

[BananaHandsB]

The best info I can find is relating to supply chains and warehousing.

Generally that kind of work would be done by Industrial Engineers, with maybe a Civil or Transportation Engineer here or there. Still never heard of a External Engineer.

[Darsithis]

Generally this would be the work of Industrial Engineers, with maybe a Civil or Transportation Engineer here or there.

That's why "external engineer" makes no sense. In all my years as a software engineer I've never heard the term. It's never come up in a job search, even tangentially related.

[Conspicuous Cultist]

I'm an engineer. I went to an engineering school with over 14 different engineering disciplines. None of them were "external". That's far too vague. Engineering disciplines are much more specific. External could mean virtually anything. As far as I know there's no such thing as "external engineering". It might be a phrase vaguely used in engineering somewhere, but it's not a real discipline.

Exactly. For the record, notice how all of these are pretty specific:

Chemical engineering

Electrical engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Aerospace engineering

Software engineering

etc.

Now make no mistake, you have some engineers crossing over from other fields (after all, it's just easier to train up an engineer that has the basic ideas down) but it sounds like something you'd get from a diploma mill.

[dextersmith]

That's why "external engineer" makes no sense. In all my years as a software engineer I've never heard the term. It's never come up in a job search, even tangentially related.

I'm a software engineer too and I've never heard of this. Further searches yielded this:

Andy [Whitfield] worked as an external engineer – ‘like a really hot Spider-Man, scaling buildings’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...th-cancer.html
Could it be a window washer?

[Darsithis]

If that's a window washer, they're really trying to dress it up.

It also could be someone who helps find damage to the exterior of buildings.

[Reeve]

Sometimes "Engineer" in a job title has nothing to do with engineering. My company calls me a "Bid Engineer," which is apparently an industry understood term, but I have no engineering degree and all I do is come up with financial models that allow us to price our bids.

[Jimson]

What is that? Google wasn't helpful, can someone describe what they typically do or are qualified to do, and what skills they inhabit please?

Where did you come across this term? Maybe some context would help.

[dextersmith]

Where did you come across this term? Maybe some context would help.

A friend mentioned his friend was exploring going back to school for other options.

OMG, I'm tearing up from reading that article. RIP Andy and best wishes to his family.