On becoming an engineer part I: The impulse function: The first of three articles examines the transition from the classroom to your first job. How should you approach it? Hit it hard with all you have

This series of three articles is not about technical engineering as you have been learning it in school. It is about your transition from the classroom to the “real world.” This article deals with your first years on the job; subsequent articles will deal with what you need to do to stay an engineer, and what your obligations to society are.