The Beginning of Nuclear Engineering:

Diving into the Start of Saha Salim’s Career

“If you can, I would take a technical writing course”. These are the advising words of Saha Salim, as I am ironically conducting an interview for my technical writing course. Saha Salim is a current nuclear engineer employed under the US Navy, therefore, he is affiliated with the government. I was introduced to Saha through the network of a close friend. The specific organization that he works for is the Naval Reactors, who are the government’s technical authority behind nuclear reactors from the Navy. Throughout our interview that took place over the phone, it came to my attention that Saha is organized and enthusiastic about his position, traits which every engineer should have in their field of work. In our interview, Saha discusses where he attended college to acquire his degree, how he became an Nuclear Engineer and his daily job responsibilities.

Being a recent undergraduate student, Saha Salim shares his experiences from when he was in college. Saha acquired a bachelor’s degree at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering along with the graduating class of 2017. Before we dove into his college years, I began asking several questions in regards to his early interests before he began to attend NYU. Saha started to discuss that his interest in math and science at a young age is what made him passionate about acquiring a degree in engineering. He began discussing that at a young age he always enjoyed math and science and so he excelled in those subjects. An excellent proficiency, one that would help him “significantly in college” said Saha. Fast forward to Saha Salim’s college years, where he attended the New York University at the Tandon School of Engineering located in Brooklyn, New York and acquired a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and minored in Aerospace Engineering. Throughout his undergrad in NYU, he got involved in courses that dealt with the technical work of engineering. However, as he mentioned several times in our interview, the technical methods aren’t the only valuable part about becoming an engineer, it also involves working with groups and managing the work. Saha displayed high importance in communications and management skills, as those skills play a significant role in becoming a successful engineer.

Before Saha Salim’s career began as a Nuclear Engineer for the US Navy, his first job involved similar aspects to his current job. Saha worked as a teaching assistant at New York University for the General Department of Engineering. He acquired this job through his university as a federal work-study. The specifics for Saha’s job as a teaching assistant involved him teaching a lab class, and assisting students with projects for their classes. Through this job, Saha explained that he was able to attain skills of leadership and communication through his experience of guiding the students and assisting them on their projects. At the time, Mr. Salim did not know that the skills he developed would, later on, be of high value to his current career.

Saha Salim’s next job is his current job, as a Nuclear Engineer for the US Navy. He acquired this position through New York University Career Connections Department in March of 2018, and due to his organization being part of the government, he said that his work location could not be disclosed. Saha’s daily tasks involve overseeing design and construction work with subcontractors, ensuring that the nuclear reactors are safely operational, and working on projects under strict deadlines. He mentioned that a fascinating aspect of his job is that he has direct contact with submarines that are thousands of feet deep in the oceans. It is Saha’s job to ensure that he oversees any problems that the submarines encounter and fixes it immediately. This part of the job is where communication skills play an important role in effectively solving the problem at hand.

During the interview, Saha Salim mentioned that “Ironically, writing is an important skill to have especially with my position.” Saha explained that in his field of work, writing is the best source of communication with your supervisors and other employees. The writing he utilizes are for his project reports, and they have to be professionally presentable. Saha couldn’t specify the number of his reports because it all depended on his current projects and their deadlines. He further emphasized that writing is a great skill that will help all engineers in their field of work.

Saha Salim ended our phone interview with some advice to any aspiring engineers. Saha mentioned that taking internships are great because it gives you a firsthand experience on your field of interest and also expands your network. Additionally, he said to use major classes to develop a technical mindset and use group projects to improve communication skills. Throughout the entirety of our interview, Saha made me realize that engineering is more than just technical work, it is also about being able to communicate with others and develop solutions together.

In the closing of our interview, Saha Salim mentioned that he enjoys his position of being a Naval Reactors Engineer for the US Navy not because of the highly prestigious position it withholds nor the money. Instead, it is because on a daily basis he is ensuring that the US Navy submarines are operational and safe to be used by the soldiers that are protecting our country.