A Guide to Graduate Careers in Engineering was originally published on Firsthand.
If you have just graduated and are hoping to follow a career in engineering, then you might be feeling a little lost as to where to start. Engineering is constantly evolving, and working environments are ever-changing. These tips can help you understand how to navigate the beginning of your engineering career post-graduation.
1. Find Your Sector
The first thing that you will need to do is find your sector. You might want to consider visiting an engineering recruitment consultant to help you make this decision.
A few different engineering sectors include:
- Aerospace and avionics engineering—Aerospace engineers work with air transportation vehicles including airplanes, helicopters, and space crafts. Aerospace engineers create the structural parts of an aircraft and avionics engineers are responsible for the electronics, particularly the internal aspects.
- Architectural engineering—Architectural engineers work primarily with buildings and other large-scale constructions, such as bridges, to ensure the safety and stability of the structure.
- Automotive engineering—Automotive engineers work on cars and other motor vehicles in every aspect of the vehicle construction process.
- Building services and electrical engineering—Building services engineers typically work with the internal aspects of a building, including the electrics, heating, security, and health and safety systems.
- Chemical engineering—Chemical engineers are involved in the design and operation of chemical plants, safety and hazard assessments, transportation, and production.
- Computing and IT engineering—Computer and IT engineers are heavily involved in the analysis and development of hardware and software.
- Health and safety engineering—Health and safety engineers are responsible for developing health and safety protocols and guidelines for buildings and workplaces.
2. Accredited Qualifications and Supplementary Experience
Becoming accredited in your chosen field of engineering will help you demonstrate your qualifications.
According to The Institute of Engineering and Technology, being a chartered engineer (referred to as CEng) makes an individual far more employable. In order to do this, you will first need to find an employer who runs an accredited graduate program, after which point you can enroll in this program to gain your accredited chartered engineer status.
3. Drafting Your CV
When it comes to drafting your CV, the most important thing to remember is to demonstrate your skills as succinctly as possible. Lay out your CV in a clear and well-presented manner. Utilize headings and bullet points to increase readability, and bring the most important aspects of your CV to the forefront to highlight your qualifications and achievements. Keeping your information relevant and your layout efficient is one of the best ways to get a potential employer's attention early on in your job search.
4. Researching Employers
When it comes to researching potential employers, it's important to remember that almost all engineering organizations are specialized in one field, and this means that you should focus your search on employers in your niche. Check out some rankings of various engineering companies to see who the top players are in your field. Visiting engineering recruitment companies for informational interviews might be a beneficial step to take as well.
When it comes to finding a job, it's important that you assess whether your potential employers would be a good fit. Your new position should be the right job for you, not simply whatever's available. Care Ride recommends that you should consider the following factors when choosing an employer:
- Reputation
- Salary & Benefits
- Employee satisfaction
- Opportunities for future development
- Company prospects
You should also look for an employer that shares your morals and work ethic. You might also want to consider the distance that you are willing to commute, as spending hours every day traveling can really put a strain on your personal and professional life.
Conclusion
When it comes to starting your new career in the engineering industry, having the necessary experience and a well-crafted CV is paramount. You should ideally try to choose an employer that will work with you and offer you the opportunities that you need to develop and progress your engineering career, as well. Your first job is only the first step in what is (hopefully) a lifelong career, after all.
