The Hic Sunt Dracones of the systems engineer

There is abundant literature on the discipline of systems engineering, but very little on the systems engineers. As important as the advancement of the discipline is the advancement of the systems engineers. The purpose and contribution of this paper is to stir a number of reflections on what could hinder our progress and development as systems engineers. The reflections gravitate around topics such as the breadth of our education; the array or journals and conferences we engage with; whether we work in industry, academia, or both; our exposure to multiple cultures; our involvement with different industrial domains; our experience in one or more life-cycle phases; and whether we tend to be self-sufficient or rely on mentors to help us grow. Those reflections can pave the way for systems engineers to take the decisions that have a significant impact in their professional development. Being a systems engineer is not a binary condition. We can all become more of a systems engineer by taking the right decisions in our professional life.