Jie He is a senior engineer for Caterpillar. He has been an engineer for thirteen years. He first started out at General Motors, and then moved on to become an engineer at Caterpillar.



What are the requirements for this job?

You will need an engineering background, engine design and development experience, at least ten years of experience, project management expertise, at least a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering, working with a team, and effective communication skills.

How long did it take you to become an engineer?

It took me four years to become a mechanical engineer.

What is the most exciting part of your workday?

The most exciting part of my day is when the group makes a large amount of progress in a certain project.

How do you feel about going to work every day?

I look forward to working with my peers. However at times, I get bored and don’t want to go to work that day.

What is your work environment like?

My co-workers are very friendly. There is a lot of workspace, so I can have a place to plan out different things. All the people in the same group sit together, so it makes it a lot easier to help each other out.

Do you enjoy working on projects?

I enjoy working on projects because later on I can see my effort come out in a new innovation.

Do your actions influence your work area?

My actions influence my work area because when my team and I come up with something new, other people can use the idea to help themselves on their own projects.

Do you feel like you impact someone’s life at times?

I feel that I have impacted the world by creating engines with less CO2 emission and engines that are more fuel-efficient.

Have you ever worked on a project that was very exciting to you?

I have worked on a project that was very exciting. It was a cost-reduction project for the company. The project has helped a lot.


How often do you work on big projects?

The team of engineers always works on big projects. After we finish one project we will receive another one. So we are constantly working on big projects.

Do you like being an engineer?

I don’t really like being an engineer. Being an engineer gets boring at times. The reason why I chose to be an engineer was because when I came to America, being an engineer didn’t require speaking a lot of English. Also being an engineer earned a substantial amount of money.

When you’re working on a hard task, how do manage to get it done?

There are always different approaches to accomplishing the task. First of all, the team needs a project plan. Second, we form a small project team from the larger team. Third, the team assigns different responsibilities to each team member. Fourth, we already work hard and work our best. Fifth, we always check the project’s progress. Finally, we always have to finish on time so the project won’t collapse on itself.


Do you think that you will still be working as an engineer in the future?

I do think it is possible I will be an engineer in the future.