My advice to young engineers is that they should learn how to write well. They will probably be writing lots of reports and making presentations. Being able to communicate effectively is very important.
@MaineLonghorn made a powerful statement, but left it hanging. The above referenced statement regarding Engineers is often time overlooked by Engineers. Yes, most Engineering programs entail at least one “English for Engineer” (Technical Writing?) course, often times taught by someone from an the English Department who has no clue about “Technical Writing”. As a young Engineer, I struggled with writing Technical Memorandums, Letters to other departments, etc. Public speaking is also very critical part of career success within an Engineering environment. Maybe things have changed in Engineering Programs, but Technical Writing and Public Speaking was pretty much non-existent when I went to Engineering School.
I quickly learn that although you work in a highly technical field, office politics often dictates how critical it is navigating the minefields in front of you, based on what is written and presented. Engineering is not all about the technical issues, as a lot of projects get shelved for non-technical reasons. Office politics within and between departments, can override technical competencies. A Young Engineers have to be able to master not on the technical aspects of their career, but understand the non-technical aspects of their jobs and understand the subtle games that are played within any organizations. By way of example, the decision by Kodak, who technically developed the Digital Camera as far back as 1975, yet chose not to proceed with that technology, due to the perceived threat the digital technology had on their very profitable film business. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Finally, High School students entering College should look beyond the obvious careers and look deeper at niche careers that are not talked about very often. For example, should one major in Nursing or pursue a degree as a Clinical/Cardiovascular Perfusionist? Should my BSN be the terminal degree or should one look beyond to the very lucrative Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) field?