Are You an Engineer If You Can’t Fix a Washing Machine?

That deceptively simple question — “Are you really an engineer if you can’t fix my washing machine?” — has a habit of sticking with people.

It was first put to me by my mother when I was still at secondary school, at the point where I was deciding what to study next. I had a growing interest in computing and software, and after looking through various options, I came across a degree titled Software Engineering at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

At the time, I didn’t think of what I enjoyed as “engineering” at all. So the washing machine question, although clearly meant as a light-hearted tease, opened up a deeper debate that has followed me throughout my career.

After completing a Software Engineering degree, becoming a Chartered Engineer, and working professionally as a Telecom Sales Engineer, the question still lingers: what actually defines an engineer?

Engineering Without Spanners

The traditional image of an engineer is deeply rooted in physical problem-solving. Someone who builds things, fixes machines, or works with tools. That image still shapes how the profession is perceived today, even as engineering roles diversify.

This disconnect is something many modern engineers encounter, particularly those working in digital, software, and systems-based roles. It mirrors wider conversations around what electricians, engineers, and technical professionals actually do in practice, rather than how their roles are imagined, a topic explored in pieces like what an electrician really does in modern roles.

Engineering has always been about applied problem-solving. The tools have simply changed.

A Telecom Engineering Perspective

That question resurfaced again more recently when I volunteered to give a technical talk as part of the IET France Local Network.

The aim was to create something thought-provoking, technical, and accessible, with a touch of humour. Unsurprisingly, the washing machine analogy returned — this time as the title of the presentation:

“Telecoms and Software: Is It Real Engineering?”

The talk took place in March 2025 at La Défense, with both in-person and online attendees. It became an opportunity to unpack how modern telecom systems are engineered, and why the discipline clearly meets every definition of engineering.

How Telecom Engineering Has Changed

Telecom networks face some of the most demanding operational requirements of any engineered system:

• Always-on availability
• Global interoperability
• Massive user and device volumes
• Highly variable traffic patterns
• Zero tolerance for failure during emergencies

In the 1990s, meeting these requirements relied heavily on specialised, vendor-specific hardware. Over time, commercial pressures forced a shift toward cost-effective, standardised infrastructure.

This transition — doing more with less while maintaining reliability — is a classic engineering challenge. It mirrors the same pressures seen across other technical trades, where cost, safety, and compliance must be balanced, such as when electricians assess how to price electrical work accurately without compromising standards.

The constraints differ, but the engineering mindset is identical.

Scaling Problems the Engineering Way

One of the key concepts discussed in the presentation was scaling, explained through the washing machine analogy.

• Vertical scaling: one bigger, more powerful system
• Horizontal scaling: multiple smaller systems working together

Both approaches have trade-offs. The same decision-making process applies whether you’re designing a telecom network, an electrical distribution system, or even planning future-proof installations in domestic properties where new loads — such as EV chargers — are introduced.

That overlap between disciplines is increasingly common as technology converges, reinforcing why engineering today often sits at the intersection of multiple systems rather than a single physical device.

Reliability, Failure, and Real-World Constraints

Modern telecom systems must operate reliably even when components fail. This requires redundancy, geographic distribution, constant monitoring, and ongoing optimisation.

Those principles are not unique to software. They are the same fundamentals that underpin safe electrical design, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance across the built environment, topics frequently explored in guidance around why safety training and system resilience matter on real sites.

Engineering isn’t defined by whether the system is visible. It’s defined by whether it works safely, reliably, and predictably under pressure.

Engineering Is a Mindset, Not a Toolbox

Reflecting on the washing machine question today, the issue isn’t whether an engineer can repair a domestic appliance. It’s whether they apply engineering principles consistently:

• Breaking down complex problems
• Designing within constraints
• Anticipating failure
• Balancing cost, performance, and safety
• Maintaining systems over time

These are the same principles that underpin every engineering discipline, from telecoms and software to electrical installation and infrastructure planning.

That’s also why professional bodies and training providers play such an important role in helping people recognise when they are already thinking like engineers, even if their work looks different to traditional stereotypes. It’s a theme that often emerges when comparing routes into technical careers, such as in discussions around university versus vocational technical training.

So… Can I Fix the Washing Machine?

No. I still can’t.

But engineering has never been about a specific tool or task. It’s about designing solutions that work in the real world.

Telecom and software engineers may not fix appliances, but they design systems that millions depend on every day. They apply engineering principles just as rigorously as any other discipline — often in ways that are less visible, but no less critical. And if engineering is about building systems that benefit society, then the work happening quietly behind the scenes matters just as much as the work you can see.