How to find a job for a new engineering graduate
Discussion
pete_esp said:
I wouldn't worry too much about getting a 2:1. I got that as a BEng and decided that it made more sense to start working having achieved this as MEng etc didn't offer a sufficient increase in the starting salary to compensate against another year of student debt + the loss of earnings. Didn't stop me getting my chartership either.
As far as getting jobs is concerned, he should get a decent Linked In profile and put effort into his CV. This will attract recruiters, they will put him forward for jobs then it's up to him to build a rapport and impress. I presume assessment days are still a thing for new grads so that's his opportunity to stand out from the crowd but that's on him.
FWIW I work in the aerospace and defence industry writing code for FPGAs, which is the etherworld between hardware & software. If he learns how to code in VHDL or System Verilog or both he will be in great demand for quite some time. The companies I have worked for always have open positions for these skills and not a week goes by without recruiters making contact about other opportunities.
Thanks for your insights. He's currently working on his Linkedin profile as like you say it seems a resource that recruiters use.As far as getting jobs is concerned, he should get a decent Linked In profile and put effort into his CV. This will attract recruiters, they will put him forward for jobs then it's up to him to build a rapport and impress. I presume assessment days are still a thing for new grads so that's his opportunity to stand out from the crowd but that's on him.
FWIW I work in the aerospace and defence industry writing code for FPGAs, which is the etherworld between hardware & software. If he learns how to code in VHDL or System Verilog or both he will be in great demand for quite some time. The companies I have worked for always have open positions for these skills and not a week goes by without recruiters making contact about other opportunities.
Don’t study engineering and go into engineering.
Trainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Two good friends work with me, one is responsible for RR engines into an OEM programme, one runs automation projects for demand / forecasting, sub £40k and sub £45k, exc bonuses, both grads, both over 30.
I work at, and have worked with, a multitude of Aero companies, top design engineers might be on £70-90k as technical staff with certain obscure knowledge / categories.
Blue collar shop floor normally £36k+ & OT on shifts, grad’s starting on £30k are lucky to be on £40k within 5 years, especially in the current environment, as they will generally be non-paid OT too.
Aerospace manufacturing recovery 2023 at best so isn’t a great time to be entering the sector.
Agree with the above re Masters, I’ve got my MSc and chartered membership and it has made zero difference.
ETA, as someone else said, get him to learn to code.
Trainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Two good friends work with me, one is responsible for RR engines into an OEM programme, one runs automation projects for demand / forecasting, sub £40k and sub £45k, exc bonuses, both grads, both over 30.
I work at, and have worked with, a multitude of Aero companies, top design engineers might be on £70-90k as technical staff with certain obscure knowledge / categories.
Blue collar shop floor normally £36k+ & OT on shifts, grad’s starting on £30k are lucky to be on £40k within 5 years, especially in the current environment, as they will generally be non-paid OT too.
Aerospace manufacturing recovery 2023 at best so isn’t a great time to be entering the sector.
Agree with the above re Masters, I’ve got my MSc and chartered membership and it has made zero difference.
ETA, as someone else said, get him to learn to code.
Edited by Lord.Vader on Tuesday 22 June 16:02
Lord.Vader said:
Don’t study engineering and go into engineering.
Trainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Yes, our summer interns and our graduates are in about £60,000 per year, and can expect decent rises for a few years after that.Trainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Edited by Lord.Vader on Tuesday 22 June 16:02
Lord.Vader said:
Don’t study engineering and go into engineering.
Trainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Two good friends work with me, one is responsible for RR engines into an OEM programme, one runs automation projects for demand / forecasting, sub £40k and sub £45k, exc bonuses, both grads, both over 30.
I work at, and have worked with, a multitude of Aero companies, top design engineers might be on £70-90k as technical staff with certain obscure knowledge / categories.
Blue collar shop floor normally £36k+ & OT on shifts, grad’s starting on £30k are lucky to be on £40k within 5 years, especially in the current environment, as they will generally be non-paid OT too.
Aerospace manufacturing recovery 2023 at best so isn’t a great time to be entering the sector.
Agree with the above re Masters, I’ve got my MSc and chartered membership and it has made zero difference.
ETA, as someone else said, get him to learn to code.
Depends what you’re into though, banking or coding would bore me sTrainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Two good friends work with me, one is responsible for RR engines into an OEM programme, one runs automation projects for demand / forecasting, sub £40k and sub £45k, exc bonuses, both grads, both over 30.
I work at, and have worked with, a multitude of Aero companies, top design engineers might be on £70-90k as technical staff with certain obscure knowledge / categories.
Blue collar shop floor normally £36k+ & OT on shifts, grad’s starting on £30k are lucky to be on £40k within 5 years, especially in the current environment, as they will generally be non-paid OT too.
Aerospace manufacturing recovery 2023 at best so isn’t a great time to be entering the sector.
Agree with the above re Masters, I’ve got my MSc and chartered membership and it has made zero difference.
ETA, as someone else said, get him to learn to code.
Edited by Lord.Vader on Tuesday 22 June 16:02
tless, but I like engineering, I enjoy designing cars and seeing what I’ve developed driving about on the roads.It’s varied, I travel the world, east steak in foreign places and drive cars at test tracks.
Sure I could earn lots more doing other things, but it’s not as doom and gloom as folk seem to make out financially.
Cyder said:
Depends what you’re into though, banking or coding would bore me stless, but I like engineering
This, though I've come to rather enjoy VBA as I've been able to solve a lot of my and my team's problems and headaches with more automation.tless, but I like engineeringIf you're into problem solving then engineering is hard to beat as a career, and I can confirm that there is very decent money to be earned by any normal standards - obviously there are industries that will pay bright people more, but you needn't be poor as an engineer.
Cyder said:
Lord.Vader said:
Don’t study engineering and go into engineering.
Trainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Two good friends work with me, one is responsible for RR engines into an OEM programme, one runs automation projects for demand / forecasting, sub £40k and sub £45k, exc bonuses, both grads, both over 30.
I work at, and have worked with, a multitude of Aero companies, top design engineers might be on £70-90k as technical staff with certain obscure knowledge / categories.
Blue collar shop floor normally £36k+ & OT on shifts, grad’s starting on £30k are lucky to be on £40k within 5 years, especially in the current environment, as they will generally be non-paid OT too.
Aerospace manufacturing recovery 2023 at best so isn’t a great time to be entering the sector.
Agree with the above re Masters, I’ve got my MSc and chartered membership and it has made zero difference.
ETA, as someone else said, get him to learn to code.
Depends what you’re into though, banking or coding would bore me sTrainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Two good friends work with me, one is responsible for RR engines into an OEM programme, one runs automation projects for demand / forecasting, sub £40k and sub £45k, exc bonuses, both grads, both over 30.
I work at, and have worked with, a multitude of Aero companies, top design engineers might be on £70-90k as technical staff with certain obscure knowledge / categories.
Blue collar shop floor normally £36k+ & OT on shifts, grad’s starting on £30k are lucky to be on £40k within 5 years, especially in the current environment, as they will generally be non-paid OT too.
Aerospace manufacturing recovery 2023 at best so isn’t a great time to be entering the sector.
Agree with the above re Masters, I’ve got my MSc and chartered membership and it has made zero difference.
ETA, as someone else said, get him to learn to code.
Edited by Lord.Vader on Tuesday 22 June 16:02
tless, but I like engineering, I enjoy designing cars and seeing what I’ve developed driving about on the roads.It’s varied, I travel the world, east steak in foreign places and drive cars at test tracks.
Sure I could earn lots more doing other things, but it’s not as doom and gloom as folk seem to make out financially.
I work in Engineering, I get to travel the world, I’ve been places I’d never see otherwise, I throughly enjoy it and for me personally I wouldn’t move to London (which I guess where the bug paid banking jobs are) whatever the salary.
My point is that you need to want to ‘engineer’ things, it isn’t a career to make you wealthy (generally), unless you move into senior positions which generally takes you away from the product.
Also depends on his working ethic, I’m a minimum hours / maximum pay type of guy.
Sporky said:
Maybe it's different at graduate level, but when I'm hiring I honestly don't give a crap what candidates' outside-work interests are (though I do hope they're neither illegal nor immoral). I'm not going to be paying them outside of working hours, so if they like bog snorkelling, amateur taxidermy, playing Fortnite, or just sitting in a chair scratching doesn't matter to me.
They do need to be able to have a business-casual (sorry) conversation, be able to talk to peoples' faces rather than their chests, crotches, or shoes, and they need to be good at the job. Or obviously bright and trainable.
I've not put my other interests on my CV since I was 20ish. Either the employer cares, in which case they'll ask and recoil in horror at the answer, or they don't care.
I disagree. They do need to be able to have a business-casual (sorry) conversation, be able to talk to peoples' faces rather than their chests, crotches, or shoes, and they need to be good at the job. Or obviously bright and trainable.
I've not put my other interests on my CV since I was 20ish. Either the employer cares, in which case they'll ask and recoil in horror at the answer, or they don't care.
Interests tell you a huge amount, particularly when work experience is scant.
You can teach people things they need to know far easier than you can teach enthusiasm, interest, commitment and ability to work in a team.
No need to go into banking or coding.
Go commercial in aero. Aerfin, Kellstrom et al. I’ve a very good mate works in that field, must clear 1/4m annually and started on a grad scheme in cardiff.
Don’t go into engineering itself, the only really decent salaries involve having to spend your life as an expat going to places you’d rather not. Fine when you’re young mine.
Go commercial in aero. Aerfin, Kellstrom et al. I’ve a very good mate works in that field, must clear 1/4m annually and started on a grad scheme in cardiff.
Don’t go into engineering itself, the only really decent salaries involve having to spend your life as an expat going to places you’d rather not. Fine when you’re young mine.
spikeyhead said:
pete_esp said:
DeejRC said:
Christ almighty make sure he stays bloody clear of FPGAs! You do want him to actually get laid at some point in his life right ?!
You may have a valid point there actually
Lord.Vader said:
Don’t study engineering and go into engineering.
Trainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Two good friends work with me, one is responsible for RR engines into an OEM programme, one runs automation projects for demand / forecasting, sub £40k and sub £45k, exc bonuses, both grads, both over 30.
I work at, and have worked with, a multitude of Aero companies, top design engineers might be on £70-90k as technical staff with certain obscure knowledge / categories.
Blue collar shop floor normally £36k+ & OT on shifts, grad’s starting on £30k are lucky to be on £40k within 5 years, especially in the current environment, as they will generally be non-paid OT too.
Aerospace manufacturing recovery 2023 at best so isn’t a great time to be entering the sector.
Agree with the above re Masters, I’ve got my MSc and chartered membership and it has made zero difference.
ETA, as someone else said, get him to learn to code.
I think PH is a special place where £40k or £45k salaries for somebody in their 30's is considered "low". Outside of London i think those are quite reasonable. For me the main thing I've told my kids is to find a job that you enjoy regardless of how much it pays. Trainee bankers will be earning what a staff senior aero eng will be on with 10 years experience.
Two good friends work with me, one is responsible for RR engines into an OEM programme, one runs automation projects for demand / forecasting, sub £40k and sub £45k, exc bonuses, both grads, both over 30.
I work at, and have worked with, a multitude of Aero companies, top design engineers might be on £70-90k as technical staff with certain obscure knowledge / categories.
Blue collar shop floor normally £36k+ & OT on shifts, grad’s starting on £30k are lucky to be on £40k within 5 years, especially in the current environment, as they will generally be non-paid OT too.
Aerospace manufacturing recovery 2023 at best so isn’t a great time to be entering the sector.
Agree with the above re Masters, I’ve got my MSc and chartered membership and it has made zero difference.
ETA, as someone else said, get him to learn to code.
Edited by Lord.Vader on Tuesday 22 June 16:02
p.s. if anybody wants an easy life and a well paid job I'd suggest Accountancy
take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:
Northernboy said:
Exactly the reason I picked Hull...
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