What It Takes to Be an Adaptable Engineer

The Importance of Adaptability in the AI Era

The AI boom has disrupted the way engineers work, introducing new tools to learn, raising expectations for what teams can achieve in a workday, and making it harder to get hired in the first place. This makes it difficult to advise students on which specific coding languages or technical skills they should learn. So amidst the uncertainty, advice for young professionals often turns to a common refrain: Be adaptable. But what does adaptability look like in practice?

Engineers often operate on the cutting edge of technology, so dealing with change is a normal part of the job, says Samantha Brunhaver, an associate professor of engineering at Arizona State University, in Tempe. Yet university curricula and training in the workplace often don’t prepare students for this.

"We tell engineers that they need to be adaptable when they graduate, but we don’t actually explain what that means, demonstrate what that looks like, [or] help make sure that they’re developing it," says Brunhaver, who received a National Science Foundation award in 2020 to study how to foster greater workplace adaptability among young engineers.

For this ongoing project, she has interviewed engineering managers, early career employees, and undergraduates about their experiences. Part of the problem, she says, is that every employer has its own idea of what to be adaptable means. Generally, Brunhaver defines adaptability as “the ability to recognize that a change or uncertainty is occurring, and then respond effectively to that change.” But the skill is context-dependent.

In software engineering, that might mean responding to turnover in the tools you use on a daily basis, while aerospace or biomedical engineers may need to keep track of changing procedures and regulations.

"Managers are all saying adaptability is important," Brunhaver says, "but defining it in different ways." At the same time, engineers are all contending with changes beyond these industry-specific expectations.

Jobs in the technology, media, and telecom sectors are experiencing the fastest pace of skill turnover, according to a June 2026 report on the effects of AI from the professional services network PwC. And the World Economic Forum’s most recent Future of Jobs Report, published in 2025, found that employers across all sectors expect 39 percent of workers’ core skills to change by 2030.

This uncertainty can be uncomfortable. But with the right mind-set and support from leadership, adaptability can be developed and honed.

Developing Adaptability in the Workplace

Brunhaver’s research suggests that employers can play a crucial role in helping young engineers develop adaptability. One way to do this is by providing training and resources that help employees learn new skills and adjust to changing circumstances.

"We need to start teaching engineers how to be adaptable," Brunhaver says. "We need to start teaching them how to learn, how to adjust, and how to respond to change." By doing so, employers can help their employees develop the skills they need to succeed in the AI era.

Conclusion

In conclusion, adaptability is a crucial skill for engineers in the AI era. By understanding what adaptability means and how it can be developed, young professionals can better navigate the rapidly changing tech landscape and succeed in their careers.