Breaking into the Engineering Industry

Why would I want to

work in engineering?
Engineering affects virtually every aspect of our lives. From
the vehicles that take us to work, to the buildings in which we
make our living and the satellites that enable you to read this
on the internet. All of these things are the work of engineers.

The key areas that engineers work in are civil, mechanical, electrical,
chemical and manufacturing and the area in which you work will
largely be determined by the area of engineering that you have
studied for.

The areas are generally pretty separate, so picking the area that is
right for you is the first step to a long and successful career.

In the UK the industry is vast, with more than 6,000 organisations

employing around 800,000 engineers. Career opportunities exist
across a broad spectrum of sectors, from aerospace and defence to
renewable energy and transportation and many of these sectors are
anticipated to be particularly buoyant for the foreseeable future.

Take the oil and gas sector, for instance. High oil prices have
enabled the UK oil industry to tap into previously uneconomic oil
deposits off the British coast which in turn has created huge demand
for qualified engineers across a range of disciplines.
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Similarly, renewable energy is an emerging sector. With global

warming and climate change at the top of the political agenda,
demand is high for engineers to develop low carbon technologies
and assist with the expansion of nuclear, wave, wind and biomass
power.

Elsewhere, the UK’s aerospace sector is one of the largest in the

world where demand for a number of key projects has ensured
continued requirement for a number of engineers. Similarly, the
outlook is good in construction, with towns and cities across the UK
undergoing almost constant regeneration.

The benefits of working in the industry are an obvious attraction:

Firstly, the average salary for newly qualified engineers is well above
most other sectors, and if you follow the right career path, you will
soon be earning in excess of £50,000 a year. Chartered and
Incorporated Engineers and Engineering Technicians are highly
regarded and command higher earning potential.

Opportunities for engineers exist throughout the UK with many

specialist hubs emerging. The chemical manufacturing sector is
largely centred in the North West, whilst the high-tech sector is
concentrated around Oxford, Cambridge and London. And with
many multi-national organisations operating in the engineering field,
there may also be opportunities to work on projects overseas.

How much can you earn in the engineering sector?

Salary by Gender Salary by Company Size
Salary by Experience Salary by Location
Salary by Job Role

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Breaking into the Engineering Industry

What are the common

engineering career paths?
Entry into the profession is entirely dependent upon your
level of qualifications with two different avenues; graduate or
non-graduate.

Engineering graduates will typically start their careers in technical

functions learning about different areas of the business in a design
and manufacturing capacity, before moving into a senior engineer
role. This may see you managing a project for a client and
contributing to the design, development, implementation and
maintenance phases of the task.

The next step up would be into a Technical Manager, Principal

Engineer or Programme Manager position. Most senior positions
require chartered status and from here your career could reach the
level of Engineering Director, Chief Engineer or Programme Director.

Non-graduates usually enter the field in an Operator (for GCSE level

education), Craftsperson (Diploma level) or Engineering Technician
(HNC, Higher Diploma or Higher NVQ level) role. Operators make
up around one-third of the engineering industry’s labour force so
there is nothing to stop those with limited education breaking into
and progressing in the industry as practical experience is just as
valuable as theory.

Further Reading
- How can I choose the right company?
- What are my transferrable skills?
- Should I work part-time, temporary or permanent?
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Operators and Craft workers specialise in a specific practical skill,

such as welding or tool-making, whilst Engineering Technicians
utilise their creative and practical skills - often with responsibility for
operational engineering and other staff. From here, there are a
number of middle management avenues available.

Technicians then choose whether to move sideways into a Project

Leader or Team Leader role and then onto Project Management. Or
they may advance their career as an Incorporated Engineer before
becoming a fully qualified Engineer and following the career path
described above for graduates.

Employment opportunities can be found in a wide range of

organisations who will recruit people from a variety of engineering
disciplines. This could be from multi-national corporations such as
BP or BAE Systems to smaller local organisations. Each type has its
advantages and disadvantages, and it is up to you to decide which
environment is right for you.

Employment contracts are predominantly permanent, however, you

will also find many working as sub-contractors, working on a project-
by-project basis. This is generally a more lucrative route to go down,
but there can be a lower level of job security and the potential for
work to dry up.

Job Searches
CAD
Electrical Engineering
Energy Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Vehicle Repair & Maintenance
Civil Engineering
Electrician
Industrial Engineering
Surveying & Inspection

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Breaking into the Engineering Industry

Where can I find out about

engineering employers?
Finding out about different employers is one of the most
important parts of job hunting. Only then can you decide
where you feel your areas of expertise are best suited and
identify the type of organisation you want to work for. And
your contacts can be your most valuable asset.

If you have recently graduated with an engineering degree you

already have an advantage. Your course tutors will probably have
experience in the field, so take advantage of their expertise. Most
importantly don’t forget the companies where you completed a
placement as part of your degree. Both of these sources can offer
advice, identify your core skills and expose you to other people who
can get you closer to possible employment.

If you don’t have an engineering related degree, you may need to be

more imaginative in your approach. Do you have friends or family
who work in engineering or do they know anyone who does? What
contacts do your former colleagues, former customers or suppliers
have?

Networking is the key to any successful job search, and this is

especially true in engineering where companies are reliant on each
other, and are therefore in regular communication.

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Stay up to date with the latest news from the Engineering sector
by following @EngineeringUK on Twitter.
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When you finally make contact, ask about how they started; the skills
they needed; what have been their experiences to date; what
organisations are expanding and looking to recruit and what advice
they can give someone like you who is coming into the industry for
the first time.

Research the type of companies that you would like to work for, who
have a culture you want to work in, and will enable you to realise
your career ambitions. Most of this information can be found on the
internet or in public libraries.

Recruitment fairs and industry conferences also offer a unique

opportunity to meet a number of people who can give you an insight
into your chosen career and what it is like to work in their company.
They can be vey useful contacts to help open a few doors, so use
them to your advantage.

The engineering industry also has a number of trade magazines and

dedicated websites that can give you an invaluable insight into the
latest trends, developments and challenges affecting various
sectors. Not to mention key information on the leading organisations
in the industry.

Key Industry Associations

- Institute of Engineering and Technology
- Engineering Council UK
- SEMTA
- Institute of Civil Engineers
- Energy Institute
- Institution of Chemical Engineers
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- Engineering Construction industry Association

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Breaking into the Engineering Industry

What qualifications are

important in engineering?
How far you want your career to progress will determine
what qualifications you will need and the timeframe it will
take for you to reach your goal. For instance, if you have a
couple of GCSE’s, but you see yourself as a Chief Engineer
someday, you need to be prepared to learn new skills and
improve your qualifications.

Even if you have a degree, however, you will need to be prepared to

study further in order to have a successful career in engineering.
If you take the non-graduate route into engineering, the lowest entry
point with a minimum of 5 GCSEs is on an apprenticeship scheme
where you will work as an Operator and be expected to study
towards an engineering diploma as part of your Apprenticeship.

A-Level holders can enrol on a higher apprenticeship which will

qualify you to undertake a Higher National Diploma (HND) or
Foundation Degree – both of which enable you to work around your
existing commitments - before progressing into an Incorporated
Engineer role.

The graduate route which will see you recognised as a member of

one of the three main professional institutions; Institution of Civil
Engineers, Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), or Institute
of Electrical Engineers (ICE).
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Professional qualifications are important in the industry and will

increase your earning potential, improve your career prospects and
will raise your professional credibility. The Engineering Council
recognises three main categories of employment, all of which have
their own professional qualifications: Chartered Engineers (CEng),
Incorporated Engineers (IEng) and Engineering Technicians
(EngTech).

To become and engineering technician you need a National

Certificate / Diploma or equivalent qualification, combined with initial
professional development (IPD), which can be achieved though an
Advanced Apprenticeship.

Incorporated engineers require an engineering related degree or for

those without a degree, alternative routes can include a HND or
Foundation Degree followed by structured professional training.
Regardless of sector, the most sought after positions are generally
accredited to chartered status. To become a Chartered Engineer,
graduates study a four-year MEng degree accredited by one of the
major engineering institutes, such as ICE.

If you are unsure what avenue is right for you, seek out potential
work experience opportunities. Approach employers directly and
volunteer for an unpaid work placement. This will give you an insight
into the industry and if you prove your value to the organisation, you
could end up with a job offer.

Find engineering Courses

- UCAS
- The Open University
- Home Learning College

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Breaking into the Engineering Industry

What skills are engineering

employers looking for?
With around 1 in 10 university graduates embarking upon a
career in engineering each year, it's important that you are
aware of the necessary skills and qualities that engineering
employers are looking for to give yourself a competitive
advantage over the other candidates.

One of the beauties of working in this industry is that there are a

wide range of jobs available to suit all types of personalities and
levels of expertise. Some positions demand a high level of academic
achievement, some relying more on technical expertise.

Incorporated engineers and engineering technicians need to have a

high level of attention to detail, reasoning ability, the skills and
knowhow to make things happen and strength of character to
manage others.

On the other hand craft workers and operators will need basic
mathematical ability, resilience, patience and of course, manual
skills.

Further Reading
- What are my transferrable skills?
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Regardless of the role in which you will be working, there are a

common set of intangible skills that employers look for across all
engineering disciplines:

• Effective communication skills - with an increase in the

documentation and instructions that engineers use in the
workplace, clear and concise communication is a requirement.

• Interpersonal skills - you need to know how to effectively

work as part of a team and work with customers to identify
needs and provide solutions.

• Technical knowledge - whatever technical expertise is vital to

your job, you need to understand how to apply this to solving
practical problems.

• Organisational skills - being able to prioritise tasks, manage

your time effectively and resource planning are key skills for
engineers.

• Enthusiasm and commitment - learning new skills is part of

every engineer's role, so you need to be adept at assimilating
a lot of new information.

More importantly, employers are looking for evidence that you are
well rounded, take an active interest in and have an understanding
of the engineering industry. Furthermore, that you have the
motivation, drive and ambition to make an impact within their
company.

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Breaking into the Engineering Industry

What makes a good

engineering CV?
Getting a job is like an exercise in marketing. You need to
need to identify what your target market (employer) is
looking for in a product (you) and use your CV to promote
yourself as the candidate who offers exactly what they need.

Think of your CV as your sales brochure - it has to be specific to the

job you are applying for. The clue to what an employer is looking for
can be found in the job advert.

Look through the responsibilities that the job will entail, and work out
how you can demonstrate that you have done these, or could do
these.

To gain a better understanding of what attributes the role demands;

get a copy of the full job spec from the HR department or recruitment
consultant.

Equipped with this information, tailor your CV to include evidence of

the skills and achievements that you know they are looking for. Make
sure that your personal career ambitions are in sync with the
employer’s requirements.

Further Reading
- How can I tailor my CV to an audience?
- What are my unique selling points?
- What are the classic CV mistakes to avoid?
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Focus on your achievements rather than your responsibilities. For

example, simply stating that…

"I worked on a project that designed a new engine for a Formula

One racing team during my work placement."

...tells your reader about what you did, but doesn’t set you apart from
thousands of other people who may be applying for the same job. By
rephrasing this as…

"During my work placement, I designed and installed a new engine

component for a Formula One engine which resulted in the team
shaving off 2.5 seconds per lap and improved their overall standing
in the season.”

…you will be demonstrating an ability to work as part of a team, that

you had a positive impact, and that you can make a difference for an
organisation. You want to make your achievements quantifiable, so
your potential employer can see the impact you will have on their
business.

Achievement statements like these illustrate your skills and ability to

perform the role without simply copying them from the job advert.
Make sure that you consider who may be reading your CV. Avoid
using technical jargon that only fellow engineers will understand, as
your CV could be read by a HR assistant or recruitment consultant
who is not familiar with engineering terminology.

Free CV Templates
Building Surveyor CAD Technician
Electrical Engineer Maintenance Manager
Mechanical Engineer

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Breaking into the Engineering Industry

What does the job interview

process consist of?
Your CV has sufficiently impressed an employer to invite you
to an interview. Now you are just a couple of steps away
from securing the job that you want. But first you need to
make a good impression at the interview.

Some recruiters prefer to follow the traditional one-to-one two-stage

format which is normally conducted by the departmental head, line
manager or someone from HR, whereas others will put you through
your paces to test your ability to do what you claim you can do on
your CV. In this case you may face a panel of interviewers or be
expected to undertake a series of assessments.

Employers will also be looking for reasons why you are choosing a
career in engineering and check your understanding of your chosen
sector. Maybe you are concerned with environmental issues and
want to work in the renewable energy field on projects that will
reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Be prepared for the typical ‘strengths and weaknesses’ questions

and questions designed to test your knowledge of your sector.
Equally, be up-to-date with what’s happening with the company itself
by looking at their website or Googling them. This will give you an
insight to how they work, what newsworthy work they are involved in,
and clues to questions you can ask your interviewer.

Take part in a Virtual Job Interview to find out if your

answers are what engineering employers want to hear.

Click here when you’re ready to begin.

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Also consider your short and long-term goals. Why are you applying
for this job? Where do you want to be in five years – Senior
Engineer? Chartered Engineer? And why do you feel that you have
the potential to achieve these ambitions? In other words, show that
you are aware of your potential and give them an insight into what
they will get if they hire you.

Interviews will invariably take place at the location where the position
is based. Or if the selection process involves all candidates coming
together to take part in a series of tests and activities, then you may
be expected to attend and off-site assessment centre.

Because technical ability is key to many engineering roles, tests are

often used to sort out the good candidates from the bad ones. Try
and find out before your interview what will be involved in the
interview, and revise as if it were an exam so you don't get caught
out unexpectedly.

Interviews are a two-way process: they are designed to help

employers find the right employee for their business, as well as for
you to decide if the organisation is right for you in terms of what you
want to do and where you want to take your career.

Further Reading
- How do I make a good first impression?
- What should I wear to my job interview?
- How can I calm my job interview nerves?

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Breaking into the Engineering Industry

What career goals should

I set myself?
We have already demonstrated that the engineering industry
has a clearly defined career path for those with ambitions to
progress. And because demand for suitably qualified and
skilled labour within the industry is high, the opportunities for
professional development, advancement and variation are
readily available across a wide range of engineering
disciplines.

All you have to do is decide which sector you want to work in and
think about how you would like your new role to progress.
The Engineering Council describes engineering as ‘the application of
science and maths to the solving of practical problems and the
making of useful things’.

Engineers will continue to be at the forefront of change and

development across every sector of society and by default,
opportunities for both inexperienced and experienced professionals
will continue to prevail.

When you start your career, you need to consider your own personal
ambitions and where you see yourself in both the short and long
term. If you are looking to progress through the ranks you need to be
aware of what steps you need to take and the timeframe required
before you can take the next step up the ladder.
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For instance, the career progression from Senior Operator to Team

Leader will take considerably less time to achieve than it will for a
newly qualified engineering graduate who is determined to become
a chartered engineer – about two and four years respectively.

The area of engineering that you have studied during your

undergraduate degree will largely determine the sector in which you
work. And because the specific skills required in one sector may vary
from those needed in another sector, you may find it difficult to
transfer your skills from nuclear to civil engineering.

However, if you feel that the profession isn’t quite what you
anticipated in terms of variety, challenge or working conditions -
don’t fret. A number of engineers have created successful alternative
careers in a number of varying roles, such as specialist sales,
marketing, teaching and consultancy.

What Next?

If you’re still looking for advice on finding the right job, creating a
great CV or tips on job interview, career-advice.monster.co.uk
contains everything you ever wanted to know, and more!

If you’re ready to apply for jobs, upload you CV to Monster and

then take a look through the latest Engineering roles.

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Breaking into the Engineering Industry

Engineering Glossary
Agile Manufacturing - an organisation that has created the
processes and tools to enable it to respond quickly to market
changes, while still controlling costs and quality.

Blueprint - a paper-based reproduction usually of a technical

drawing, documenting an architectural or engineering design.

CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) - a unit of measurement of the

flow of a gas or liquid that indicates how much volume in
cubic feet pass by a stationary point in one minute.

Drywall - a common building material typically made of a

layer of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of
paper, then kiln dried.

Echo Box - a resonant cavity device that is used to check the

overall performance of a radar system.

Flash Point - the lowest temperature at which a liquid

releases sufficient vapour that can be ignited by an energy
source

Greenhand – a nickname given to someone who is new to

the offshore oil industry
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HVAC – a common acronym from the engineering industry

that stands for ‘Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning’.

ISC (Integrated Service Contract) - a contract likely to

include design and project services, maintenance, upgrades
as well as reliability and integrity management.

JV (Joint Venture) - collaboration between two or more

companies in a contract.

Kelvin - a unit increment of temperature and one of the

seven SI base units.

Laser - a device that emits light (electromagnetic radiation)

through a process called stimulated emission. The term is an
acronym for ‘Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation’.

Multiplexer - a switching device that sequentially connects

multiple inputs or outputs in order to process several signal
channels with a single A/D or D/A converter

NPV (Net Present Value) - a method of evaluating a stream

of costs and benefits over time assuming a nominated rate of
interest applying to the value of money.

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Breaking into the Engineering Industry

OEE – (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) - a hierarchy of

metrics which focus on how effectively a manufacturing
operation is utilised.

Penalty Clause - a provision in a contract that provides for a

reduction in the amount otherwise payable to a contractor as
a penalty for failure to meet deadlines or contract
specifications.

QRA (Quantitative Risk Assessment) - a method for

quantifying major accident hazards and their potential
effects.

Rafter - one of a series of sloped structural members

designed to support a roof deck and its associated loads.

SAT (Site Acceptance Test) - a test of equipment carried out

at site following installation of equipment but prior to
commissioning.

Transducer – a device that receives information in the form

of one quantity and converts it to information in the same or
another quantity or form.

Union - an organisation of workers who have banded

together to achieve common goals in key areas and working
conditions.
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Voltage - the rate at which energy is drawn from a source

that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; expressed in
volts.

Watt - the SI derived unit of power, equal to one joule of

energy per second.

Xmas Tree – the collective name given to the valve pipes

and associated fittings assembled at the top of a completed
well used to control the flow of oil or gas.

Yield Point – the load at which a solid material that is being

stretched begins to flow, or change shape permanently,
divided by its original cross-sectional area; or the amount of
stress in a solid at the onset of permanent deformation.

Zero Defects - a standard of performance in manufacturing

which should be the goal of endeavour when speaking of
'quality'.

Think you know engineering?

When going for a job interview it really pays to know about the
issues affecting the industry the company operates in.

We’ve devised a short quiz to help you judge how much you
know about the engineering sector.

Take the quiz now!

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 Breaking into the Engineering Industry

They say that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, but
often it is. Our series of eBooks brings together expert advice
to help you secure the job you want and build a successful
career.

For more career tools, visit career-advice.monster.co.uk.