If you have an analytical mind, it means you have the ability to collect, visualize, and analyze materials or information in detail. Analytical skills also cover the ability to understand a situation from a different standpoint. Ideally, engineering field is full of problem solving; hence, you need to approach every task with a strong analytical mind. Every solution needs to be developed in such a way that it meets all the requirements while minimizing risks or costs as much as possible. This is where experiments and tests came in handy. When trying to come up with a new idea, engineers typically experiment and test the idea before actual application can begin to ensure that resources are not wasted on innovations that are bound to fail.
It is important to understand that analytical skills work hand in hand with attention to detail and cover many skills, including numeracy skills (ability to apply mathematical knowledge in expressing ideas) and the ability to collect the right information needed in a specific situation. An analytical process actually begins with gathering the right information, and if you collect the right information, then you stand a better chance to solve a problem.