Didnt get an engineering apprenticeship. Gutted.

Didnt get an engineering apprenticeship. Gutted.

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Benbay001

Original Poster:

5,794 posts

157 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
quotequote all
So, since March ive had various applications going through for engineering apprenticeships.
It started with the OPITO one, which i majorly messed up the aptitude test for.
I then applied for another with Perenco at Wytch Farm, Dorset, the studying for which would have been at Southampton Engineering Training Academy. I passed the aptitude test with very good results (ive since found out).

My mums partner then put me forward for an oil and gas apprenticeship with the company that he works for (and is quite high up in) but for this one i was a week too late applying.

I then attended the Perenco interview, which i felt went well.
In the mean time, whilst awaiting results i heard from SETA (mentioned above) who asked whether id like to attend an interview for Southampton General Hospital, as an engineering apprentice. I attended and again, it felt like it went well.

There was then the possibility of an interview with a very specialist defense company, but it turned out that they wanted someone who lived locally (i live 1.5 hours away, but was intending to move closer.

And then i got rejected by Perenco.
And then, today i got rejected by Southampton Hospital, although they did say i interviewed very well.

So now i am moderately down. So many hopeful possibilities and i didnt get a single one. Damn.

I guess the industry is crying out for engineers, not engineering apprentices?

What do i do next? Train at college paid for by my self? Keep applying?
Does any one know of an easier and less well know route to get my foot in the door and get some qualifications?
I know for sure that this is what i want.

My grades are 6 B's 1 D and the rest are C. I have a B in Maths and Science, C in English.

There are 3 plus sides. Plus side one is that the defense and hospital apprenticeships really opened my mind to careers i hadnt considered.
Plus side 2 is that i am still in a stable warehousing job that i enjoy and that pays ok for my age.
Plus side 3 is that i can now begin car hunting! (was going to get a motorbike if id got one)



EggsBenedict

1,770 posts

174 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
quotequote all
Benbay001 said:
So now i am moderately down. So many hopeful possibilities and i didnt get a single one. Damn.

I guess the industry is crying out for engineers, not engineering apprentices?

What do i do next? Train at college paid for by my self? Keep applying?
Does any one know of an easier and less well know route to get my foot in the door and get some qualifications?
I know for sure that this is what i want.

My grades are 6 B's 1 D and the rest are C. I have a B in Maths and Science, C in English.

There are 3 plus sides. Plus side one is that the defense and hospital apprenticeships really opened my mind to careers i hadnt considered.
Plus side 2 is that i am still in a stable warehousing job that i enjoy and that pays ok for my age.
Sorry to hear of your situation. Few things (some shaped by my experience in hiring grads for IT training courses):

1) I don't know if you did this, but ring the people who rejected you and find out why. The one where they're looking for someone local especially - ring them and ask if they had any luck with filling their vacancy and say you're still keen. At least you can get some feedback on why you weren't successful.

2) Not sure how you found your apprenticeship vacancies, but ring the engineering firms that you are interested in and ask if they need/want an apprentice. You need to be careful how you do this - you don't want a foreman or something, you need someone high up, you need a pitch (30 seconds long, no longer, letting him know what you are and what you do: "Hello, I'm Benbay001, I've recently left college with GSCE's and I'm hardworking, keen to learn and passionate about engineering, and your company appealed to me because <insert something about their company here>, and I was hoping that you would be interested in having me aboard as an apprentice". If they don't offer apprenticeships, it could be in their interest to do so, so gen up a bit on what's in it for employers here: http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/. That way, if they don't offer apprenticeships you can sell them the benefits of running the scheme - may plant a seed.

3) Definitely do something outside your w/house job to crank up your engineering credentials. Do some training or start a project building something. I don't know what facilities are available to you, but anything from some sort of CNC machine LinuxCNC - you can even get one running with Raspberry Pi] to an off-road buggy or something Ron Champion Buggy <- don't build this by the book - it's a bit ugly and basic for someone who wants to be an engineer. Blog your build on the internet with your designs, challenges and so on. This will differentiate you on your CV, and show off your passion. Because you're blogging, you can show off your progress, your design decisions, your fabbing skills etc. Your mistakes won't matter - they're something interesting to write about, and you can show you're learning from them.

4) Learn to love rejection. You'll be rejected many times, so don't get down from it. There's a place there somewhere. You say 'anyone know of an easier route...' - it ain't easy, never going to be, just keep trying, and approach each one with energy and positive thoughts.



Edited by EggsBenedict on Tuesday 19th August 17:35

Benbay001

Original Poster:

5,794 posts

157 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
quotequote all
Thank you.
The issue i have is i get very nervous on the phone when ive had time to think about making the call. Im as calm as the next person when in interview. Im as calm as the next person when I receive an important call unexpectedly.
The car i am thinking of buying is a TVR, so i guess this would pass for an "engineering project"?
Im thinking that maybe i could do evening classes once a week, and maybe learn how to weld or basic car mechanics? Although i have absolutely no idea how much this sort of thing costs.

driver67

978 posts

165 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
quotequote all

I work for a relatively high profile Scottish Engineering company. (I.T. Manager / Software Developer)

Last year we had 180 applications for 4 positions.

These were whittled down initially from the qualifications.

Good grades in Maths and a Science subject are a must.

Around 30 people were invited for aptitude / maths tests.

This resulted in 10 being interviewed. 4 were selected.

It's a very tough field to get into with a high volume of exceptional candidates.

Good on you that your feedback says you interview well, maybe try and improve your qualifications, try again next year.

Or, keep at it, maybe with some of the big boys supply chain.

Any questions, please ask.

dingg

3,984 posts

219 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
quotequote all
Just keep trying , in reality you've done well so far to be selected for interview - so you do have the initial skill sets that are required , just need to brush up on interview skills/techniques and keep at it , you will get there in the end

EggsBenedict

1,770 posts

174 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
quotequote all
Benbay001 said:
Thank you.
The issue i have is i get very nervous on the phone when ive had time to think about making the call.
Practice then. Practice on people particularly that you'll feel stupid saying it to - if you can master it with them, doing it for real will be a piece of the proverbial.

Benbay001 said:
The car i am thinking of buying is a TVR, so i guess this would pass for an "engineering project"?
TBH, I know you'll not be a fan of this idea, but save buying a TVR until you've got your apprenticeship sorted. When you've got your career launched in the direction you want it to go, then reward yourself. I have a TVR myself. It's not a cheap hobby, and I don't have to rely on it to drive daily.

Fecking about with cars is one thing, but not many engineers I know would count it as 'engineering'. As I say you'd be better off actually making something, or perhaps converting something: http://www.diycnc.co.uk/html/my_project.html. You should have a look on YouTube and see if you can be inspired by people restoring machine tools, or making stuff with them. You're trying to prove that you're passionate about engineering and that you're trying to help yourself gain skills in that area.

Another book that might give you an idea: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Motorcycle-engined-R...

Benbay001 said:
Im thinking that maybe i could do evening classes once a week, and maybe learn how to weld or basic car mechanics? Although i have absolutely no idea how much this sort of thing costs.
I think you'll be surprised at what's available, and how little it costs, especially from local colleges. Just use google. Fabrication or Milling and Turning. Axminster supply machine tools, and also offer classes~: http://www.axminsterskillcentre.co.uk/.

Have a look/search on this site too: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/ it has a forum which also may help. Post in the 'brew room' - search first though.

Basic car mechanics you can teach yourself. Get a car, buy a Haynes manual for it and off you go. It's not engineering though!

mph1977

12,467 posts

168 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
quotequote all
EggsB makes some good suggestions - also don't dismiss employers or sectors as you said the hospital job opened your eyes - there's plenty of engineering hidden in lots of places - although increasingly it;s all externally managed / repaired rather than how it may have been in the old days.

Those saying well done for getting shortlisted - they are right - especially when the numbers are as given in the previous post (driver 67's post - 180:30 :10 :4 ) 45 applicants per place - which compared to the applicants per place ratio for uni is huge

being shortlisted and interviewed and then not getting it means only one thing - The Appointing Manager thinks you could be appointed to the role but the other candidates made the better impact - sometimes it;s the intangibles that will be the decider ...

rog007

5,759 posts

224 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
Benbay001 said:
My mums partner then put me forward for an oil and gas apprenticeship with the company that he works for (and is quite high up in)...

Does any one know of an easier and less well know route to get my foot in the door...?
Have you fully exploited your Mum's partner? Assuming he is 'quite high up', one would imagine he has the ability to oil some wheels or at least provide some greater fidelity of advice than you are likely to get from an Internet forum? Good luck!

Ganglandboss

8,306 posts

203 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
There's some very good practical advice in this thread so far. All I can add is get stuck in with college and keep trying. I was very fortunate to have landed the first job I was interviewed for. I went through another outfit called SETA (this one was Stockport Engineering Training Association). I'm guessing it is a similar set-up.

I was employed all the time by UMIST but they sent me to SETA's place for the first few months of my apprenticeship. There were quite a few drop-outs when I was there - usually sacked due to poor performance at college, or generally just for being a dick. As a result, there are still openings after the main intake that occurs just before September. If you have made a start on your college, this will be an advantage as they will not have to wait until the following year to recruit a replacement for the drongo they have had to sack.

When I was at college, there were a few without jobs, but all of them found employment before the end of the first year.

Benbay001

Original Poster:

5,794 posts

157 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
I received an email yesterday, again from SETA. They have put me forward to another company.
They didnt tell me what they do.
Thank you for the advice.
I sent an email off to my local college to enquire about a part time motor mechanics course that they run. Again, not engineering, but they didn't offer anything more relevant on a part time basis. It also experience, and knowing your way around the mechanics of a car, has got to relate to the mechanics of any drive system.

The Beaver King

6,095 posts

195 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
Sorry to hear you've been unlucky so far, but keep sending your CV off as something will come up.

With regards to doing something in the meantime to improve your CV, good idea. Mechanics though, not such a good idea.

I know why you are thinking of doing it, but don't try and convince yourself it will help secure an engineering apprenticeship; it won't (speaking as a engineer, who is also an avid mechanic and TVR owner smile )

You would be much better off doing a course in CAD or an NC/HNC in Engineering. I went down the apprenticeship route in CAD, ended up doing an HNC in HVAC building services and now i'm pretty much a Bid Manager.

CAD is an excellent gateway skill as it is used throughout all aspects of engineering and enables you to understand technical drawings and systems.

What field of engineering are you looking at? How old are you?


Fotic

719 posts

129 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
Benbay001 said:
So, since March ive had various applications going through for engineering apprenticeships.
It started with the OPITO one, which i majorly messed up the aptitude test for.
I then applied for another with Perenco at Wytch Farm, Dorset, the studying for which would have been at Southampton Engineering Training Academy. I passed the aptitude test with very good results (ive since found out).

My mums partner then put me forward for an oil and gas apprenticeship with the company that he works for (and is quite high up in) but for this one i was a week too late applying.

I then attended the Perenco interview, which i felt went well.
In the mean time, whilst awaiting results i heard from SETA (mentioned above) who asked whether id like to attend an interview for Southampton General Hospital, as an engineering apprentice. I attended and again, it felt like it went well.

There was then the possibility of an interview with a very specialist defense company, but it turned out that they wanted someone who lived locally (i live 1.5 hours away, but was intending to move closer.

And then i got rejected by Perenco.
And then, today i got rejected by Southampton Hospital, although they did say i interviewed very well.

So now i am moderately down. So many hopeful possibilities and i didnt get a single one. Damn.

I guess the industry is crying out for engineers, not engineering apprentices?

What do i do next? Train at college paid for by my self? Keep applying?
Does any one know of an easier and less well know route to get my foot in the door and get some qualifications?
I know for sure that this is what i want.

My grades are 6 B's 1 D and the rest are C. I have a B in Maths and Science, C in English.

There are 3 plus sides. Plus side one is that the defense and hospital apprenticeships really opened my mind to careers i hadnt considered.
Plus side 2 is that i am still in a stable warehousing job that i enjoy and that pays ok for my age.
Plus side 3 is that i can now begin car hunting! (was going to get a motorbike if id got one)
You've had 3 interviews, one of which you say you messed up so 2 actual chances.

You need a sense of reality I'm afraid - it's going to take more effort than that to get the job you want.

Benbay001

Original Poster:

5,794 posts

157 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
Im 22 (as of Friday just gone).
Im looking at mechanical engineering.

The oil and gas apprenticeship i looked at involved repairing gearboxes and pumps. I just assumed that a basic mechanics course would be a start and give me a good back ground to engineering. I used CAD at work experience. I thought CAD was used more for design than for engineering.

Benbay001

Original Poster:

5,794 posts

157 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
Fotic said:
You've had 3 interviews, one of which you say you messed up so 2 actual chances.

You need a sense of reality I'm afraid - it's going to take more effort than that to get the job you want.
I also only applied for 2 apprenticeships.
I realise now, that next year i will need to apply for loads. I wasnt aware how difficult it would be, or how many people would be going for these positions.

snotrag

14,457 posts

211 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
What Beaver king said.

Don't go down the 'car mechanic route'.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that - however you want to be an engineer.

An intro to CAD, technical drawing/draughting would be a great course to for an apprentice.

Keep at it!

Simon
(Automotive design engineer by day, fiddling with cars/welding/mechanicing by night & weekend!)

snotrag

14,457 posts

211 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
Ben - imagine the situation. You are given a broken pump, a box of bits, and a drawing pack. The drawings might contain an assembly overview, some detail views, the torque settings, the fit tolerances, the parts list etc.

If you can read, and properly understand those drawings, you've got a good chance of rebuilding that pump on your bench.

The Beaver King

6,095 posts

195 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
Benbay001 said:
Im 22 (as of Friday just gone).
Im looking at mechanical engineering.

The oil and gas apprenticeship i looked at involved repairing gearboxes and pumps. I just assumed that a basic mechanics course would be a start and give me a good back ground to engineering. I used CAD at work experience. I thought CAD was used more for design than for engineering.
You can teach yourself about pumps and gearboxes with books and info off the net, anymore than that and you are getting into proper education courses. A mechanics course will not teach you how to calculate flow rates, 3 phase motors, heat loss calcs etc, it will show you roughly how they work and how to fit them. An engineer wants to know how to build/size them and how to make them better.

No offence to mechanics, but they don't 'make' anything these days; they bolt together parts. An engineer designs and makes.

CAD is about design and all engineering projects start with a design. I'd say that in construction 75% of the time is spent designing and 25% actually building stuff.

CAD is also a universal tool, like Microsoft Word/Excel. It's used in all sectors of engineering.

Benbay001 said:
Fotic said:
You've had 3 interviews, one of which you say you messed up so 2 actual chances.

You need a sense of reality I'm afraid - it's going to take more effort than that to get the job you want.
I also only applied for 2 apprenticeships.
I realise now, that next year i will need to apply for loads. I wasnt aware how difficult it would be, or how many people would be going for these positions.
As Fotic said, that is not a lot of applications.

My brother has two Masters degrees, one in Physics and the other in something else (can't remember, but it is complicated anyway). He got decent results and had all the qualifications he needed for a good role as a Patents Attorney.

He applied for 40 jobs over 6 months, managed 15 interviews and finally got a job 2 months ago.

Bearing in mind he is a confindent chap and had some great feedback in his interviews. It's a numbers game I'm afraid and the more shots you fire, the more likely you will land a role.

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

198 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
Just to put things in perspective a little, back in 1995-1996 after I left Uni, in fact, right up until mid-1998 when I got a proper job, I sent out well over 100 applications for engineering jobs. This was with a Mechanical Engineering degree too. I can't remember exactly how many interviews I had, but the hit rate was probably 1 in 5, maybe 1 in 4.

I got offered a job as a sales engineer, lasted 6 days as the boss was an unpleasant bully and I had to share an office with him.

Then I ended up working in television, vaguely engineering related, but not really, it was more of a technician's job.

Unfortunately, I never managed to get into engineering properly, instead I progressed down the management route, which I was quite well suited to as it turned out.

The moral is, don't give up at this early stage, there's plenty of time for you to get the job you want. Hindsight being what it is too, don't settle for the first thing that comes along if it isn't really what you want.

Benbay001

Original Poster:

5,794 posts

157 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
My local college doesnt really have any decent engineering courses (CAD or similar) that are part time. Id consider my self competent with Sketchup, so i feel a basic course in CAD would be showing me stuff i already know. Giving up work is not an option, even if just for a year.
My mechanical knowledge is currently very limited. I know the basics of almost everything, but i dont know anything in much more detail.

Id consider my self competent with Sketchup, so i feel a basic course in CAD would be showing me stuff i already know.

Maxwell90

99 posts

170 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
Sorry to hear mate. I know all to well what it's like trying to get an apprenticeship just now.

I had applied to well over 20 this year and more than half rejected me at the first stage with no reason other than I've been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Here is how I got on:
Interview then assessment day - Unsuccessful as they picked the other with more experience
Aptitude tests then interview - Reserve list for a place (OPITO)
Two interviews - Offered a job but, I declined due to the other offer
Assessment day - Offered a job and I've accepted.


I'd recommend doing a HNC in your chosen field (electrical/mechanical/instrument) and doing it full time for a year. Even phoning the collages to see if you can get in this academic year as there may be drop outs. You could always do it part-time or evening classes but, that can take 2 years. I done mines part-time over 2 years and regretted not quitting my job and doing it full time. I just wasted time pissing money up the walls on cars and lads holidays.

Indeed has helped me a lot with finding apprenticeships this year. They have an app where you can search for key words and it saves the searches so you can keep checking for new jobs with minimal effort. I was checking almost daily.


Edited by Maxwell90 on Thursday 21st August 18:44