ADD ADVICE TO FAVMechanical engineering
Mechanical engineers face stiff competition for jobs from graduates abroad – but market yourself successfully and you could work in the aerospace industry, building development or fuel production.
The work of mechanical engineers is all around us. From foldable babies’ pushchairs to artificial hip joints, from cranes to caravans, mechanical engineers produce and develop goods that have a huge impact on everyday living. Yet according to Government statistics, the UK produces only about half the number of graduates it needs to remain a world leader in this field.
The UK aerospace industry, for example, is the largest in Europe and employs almost 150,000 people. Steve Harrison at John Crane, the world’s largest supplier of mechanical seals, comments: ’We have 6,000 employees in more than 40 countries and supply a huge variety of businesses. Teamwork and good communication are just some of the skills we need in our engineers.’
Competition for graduate mechanical engineering jobs
Colin Woolford, Resourcing Manager at engineering recruitment firm Beechwood, says: ’Companies are seeking engineering graduates with good degrees from good universities. Competition from graduates from European universities means that UK graduates have to learn to market themselves. They should talk about final-year projects, give examples of coursework and show how these things have shaped them as engineers.’
Mechanical engineering graduate job descriptions
Exciting challenges in mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineers create almost all the technological devices that enable our modern way of life. Just think about it – your iPod, for example. The new generation is now 40% smaller, holds up to 40GB of music and can play for 12 hours continuously without recharging.
How about food? Engineers develop the technologies that can process raw food from the farms into products that we can eat.
Engineers are also working fast to design newer, greener ways of extracting fossil fuels, and of building more environmentally friendly machinery.
The opportunities are diverse, so think about which type of engineering would appeal to you. The Institution of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE) has no fewer than 18 divisions and groups, from automotive to power, to encompass the vast array of engineering work being undertaken.
Engineering work experience
Work experience is vital for your engineering career. ’Put yourself in a recruiter’s shoes,’ counsels Dan Hawes, co-founder of the Graduate Recruitment Bureau.
’With so many graduates, it can be hard to identify those with the right skills. Graduate recruiters are increasingly turning their attention to the work experience section on a CV and looking for skills they could use.’
When trying to find work placements and graduate recruitment schemes, look for the particular area of engineering which interests you most, and your chances of finding permanent work after university will be increased.
Mechanical engineering professional bodies
Founded by George Stephenson, IMechE is the UK’s qualifying body for chartered mechanical engineers. Its members represent a diverse range of sectors, including satellite launching, surgical implants and power stations.
The institution publishes a number of magazines and journals and is very active in organising conferences and seminars for professional engineers.
