International Systems Engineer Day

With the world becoming more and more digitized every day, there is a group of people that has rather suddenly become one of the most important groups of people in the world: systems engineers.

Systems engineers make enormous contributions to the world as we know it every single day, with their input making humans increasingly more comfortable and efficient. Whether at home or in the workplace, life would certainly not be the same without them.

But what do they do? Systems engineers work on all sorts of different complex projects to make them better. This can include spacecraft design, computer chip design, robotics, software integration, and bridge-building. The computer that is being used right now to display this article would not exist if it weren’t for systems engineers, nor would the plane that is taken to go on that exotic holiday destination, and nor would the bridge that is crossed to get to work every day.

International Systems Engineer Day is here to celebrate these behind-the-scenes folks who make our lives easier and make the world go ‘round!

History of International Systems Engineer Day

The concept of systems engineering is perhaps a bit older than most people would expect. In fact, the term dates back to the early 1940s when it was originally used by Bell Telephone Laboratories to describe major systems used during World War II. Of course, today, the field of systems engineering has been divided up to include multiple disciplines within the larger bucket, including industrial engineering, software engineering, reliability engineering, cognitive systems engineering, security engineering, and so many others.

International Systems Engineer Day was founded in 2012 by Nicholas Fourie of South Africa and his colleagues in systems engineering. The day was established as a way to acknowledge and show appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of men and women who work hard every day at their computers to make the whole world a better place!

How to Celebrate International Systems Engineer Day

For those who are systems engineers themselves or have one in their life, today is a great day to take care of themselves personally or to show the systems engineers in their life some appreciation. So make the most of it! Check out some of these interesting ideas for observing and celebrating International Systems Engineer Day:

Get Outside

People who work on their computers all day may find that they forget how amazing it can be to be outside and in nature! Maybe it’s time to take a day off and look at a real landscape instead of the Windows desktop ones. In honor of International Systems Engineer Day, relax those eyes, enjoy some fresh air, or get outside and have a picnic. Get outside and take a hike, go for a walk in the park and enjoy some nature that is sure to feed the soul.

Host a Systems Engineer Gathering

For those people who fancy a more social situation, why not get together with some other systems engineer buddies and just have some beers, hang out and laugh at jokes that can only be understood by systems engineers? To celebrate International Systems Engineer Day, enjoy a meal together, have a little barbecue party in the backyard or go on an adventure to an amusement park and ride some roller coasters – just for fun!

Thank a Systems Engineer

For those who are not systems engineers but have one in their lives, this is a great time to show them how important they are and celebrate what they do! For family or friends, this might mean taking that favorite systems engineer out to dinner, buying them a gift or giving them a big hug and telling them how much they are loved and appreciated.

In the workplace this can mean providing donuts and coffee in the morning, taking them out for drinks after work, or ordering a cake for the whole team to share. Perhaps just a little email to say thank you or a high-five acknowledging the day can be an encouragement. Even better, maybe they would appreciate having the afternoon off in honor of International Systems Engineer Day!

Don’t let another year go by without saying thank you to the people who help make the world a better place every single day by celebrating their achievements!