What experience do Employers want from (Under)Graduates?

[Conor D]

I've just finished a year at University (doing Mechanical Engineering), and I've started to think about placement after this year. I'm guessing I'll not be the only person applying so I need to try and get as much experience as I can.

What do employers want? Are they after Engineering specific experience as working in an engineering environment (I imagine this could be tricky for your typical Undergrad), or general job related experience showing your good attributes?

I've worked as a Paintball Marshall when I was 16, completed a weeks work experience with a large Avation company here (Got to see around all their different engineering departments and see what they do) and worked for one of the big Mobile phone companies in a retail position (selling phones).

I intend on joining the University's racing team this year to compete in the Formula Student Competitions too..

Will an employer be interested in all this as experience? I imagine it's more life experience than career.

What is the ideal Undergrad/Graduate for an Employer, mainly for someone coming into do a placement year.

[davepoth]

You'll be making the tea and doing photocopying for the first couple of weeks, while your boss figures out whether you can spell. If you are worrying about what will make you a good placement candidate a year in advance, you'll do fine.

[Conor D]

After speaking to some friends who went on placement this year, I think applications can open around October this year for placements starting in June or July.

I know a few of them left it too late, and had to take what they could get.. I'd rather not do that..

[dr_gn]

As well as your general work experience which is a great start, personally I'd look for practical engineering experience. TBH this applies to graduates too as far as I'm concerned. Of course it depends to an extent on the kind of job you're looking at applying for. Can you elaborate?

My responsibility is aerospace design and aerospace assembly systems. If I'm interviewing a candiadte for these roles, I look for practical experience - do you like repairing your car or bike? Do you like building model aircraft, or whatever...anything. Invariably if someone likes tinkering with mechanical things, they have an idea what works and what doesn't. If you can use CAD, great - but the hottest CAD jockey in the world is useless to me if they haven't got an original idea in their head.

When you get an interview - *definitely* take a portfolio of work, and take some time over it. Put it in a binder, make the cover look good, attention to detail is important. *Anything* can go in there - photos of things you've built from an old car to a Lego crane. If you've done any University projects that are relevant, get them in there, plots, pictures, anything so long as you can get the interviewer talking...and be enthusiastic about it. I got my first real job based largely on a uni project that I'd wondered about including in my portfolio...you never know.

Good Luck.