Engineering Graduate Jobs overview
Engineers are professional problem solvers: their rigorous academic training prepares them to use take advantage of new technologies, methods, and materials to help various organisations move from the abstract (for example, a product idea or an architectural design) to the tangible (for example, a consumer good or a finished home). Almost every good or service we enjoy involves, directly or indirectly, the contributions of an engineer: they’re responsible for the plastics and metals used in your electronic devices, the structural integrity of your local shopping mall, the functioning of your favourite websites, and more.
However, while engineering skills and expertise are indispensable to businesses of all descriptions, not every business can justify hiring an engineer full-time. Often, they may only require an engineer to help them overcome a discrete challenge, such as eliminating inefficiency in their manufacturing processes, minimising the environmental impact of their construction activities, or deciding which product design to pursue.
That’s where engineering consultants come in. These consultants possess qualifications in various branches of engineering, including aeronautical, civil, electrical, environmental, mechanical, and structural engineering. While directly employed by a consultancy firm, they complete contracts for various other businesses, helping them to accomplish specific goals. When their job is done, they move on to the next project, which may be in a completely different industry. In short, if you’re an engineering student who longs for a varied, intellectually challenging, and well-compensated career, then engineering consulting may just be the thing for you.
Job market outlook
Engineering consulting firms fall within the architectural, engineering, and technical services industry, which grew at a rate of 3.9 percent per year between 2014 and 2019, thanks in large part to increasing demand from public and private clients. Undoubtedly, this demand has been bolstered by large investments in public infrastructure, with New Zealand expected to invest $129 billion in infrastructure over the coming decade.
As such, job prospects for engineering consultants are very good, with successful employment leading to stimulating work and generous remuneration. In its 2019 Remuneration Survey, Engineering New Zealand reported that the median base salary for new graduates (across all fields of engineering, including engineering) was between $50,000 and $60,000, with this growing to almost $70,000 with three years of experience. The median base salary for all full-time engineers was $90,700.
How to get hired
Obviously, the most important thing you’ll need for a career as an engineering consultant is an engineering degree. However, in addition to relying on top-notch engineering skills, engineering consultants face a specific set of professional challenges: they must be adept at creating new relationships, skilled at imparting technical ideas to colleagues with non-technical backgrounds, and possessed of unimpeachable professional integrity. Graduate employers will, therefore, look for candidates who possess both strong academic credentials and a personable demeanour that’s well-suited to establishing productive relationships in business environments.
Generally, major engineering consultancy firms are aggressive recruiters of talented graduates, with a strong presence at university careers fairs and graduate-focused websites like Prosple NewZealand. Major employers such as Northrop, Thiess, and Worley operate structured graduate development programmes that last for one to two years, with applications generally opening in February or March.
Typically, the recruitment process includes an online application, a video interview (for shortlisted candidates), participation in activities at an assessment centre, and a final face-to-face interview. Some employers have also begun using ‘gamified’ psychometric tests that candidates can complete online. From start to finish, the recruitment process may take up to five months.
Key skills you need
Adaptability
As an engineering consultant, you can expect to work inside various businesses, from large, multinational organisations to smaller, local businesses. The industries too may change: you could be working for a telecommunications provider one week, and a construction company the week after. What does all this mean? To succeed, you must possess the adaptability required to take your skills and use them to confront a range of problems, while working with new teams in new environments.
Communication skills
It’s important to remember that organisations hire engineering consultants to tackle the problems they’ve been unable to overcome independently. As such, they’ll be relying not only on your engineering skills but also on your ability to communicate the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of the solution you propose. Often, this will mean helping non-technical audiences understand your approach, so strong communication skills are a must.
Perseverance
Few companies can afford to waste money on hiring engineering consultants to solve easy problems. Instead, they bring in extra help when the challenge they face is particularly hard or complex. Accordingly, you must be prepared to deal with tricky tasks, many of which will require you to think creatively, experiment with different approaches, and exhibit a high degree of perseverance.
Engineering has sub-specialties in which an Engineering Graduate may work or take extra courses in order to specialise:
- Civil
- Software
- Aerospace
- Petroleum
- Geotechnical
- Mechanical
- Electrical
If you can think of an industry, there is probably a job for an engineering student!
Where to Find Engineering Graduate Jobs
Depending on where your interests lie and which type of major you’ve selected, you may want to try looking for graduate employment with the main companies in your area of specialisation. For example, an Electrical Engineer might try applying at Schneider Electric, while a Software Engineer might choose amongst the plethora of software companies that hire graduates like Microsoft or Datacom.
Top Five Industries Hiring Engineers
According to Engineering New Zealand, the top five industries hiring graduates are:
- Civil engineering, which includes transport, environmental, structural and geotechnical engineering
- Computer systems and software engineering
- Chemical and process engineering
- Electrical and electronic engineering
- Mechanical engineering
However, there are shortages for some types of engineers:
- Major highway projects require civil and transport engineers
- Upgrading the national grid will require more electrical engineers
- Digital (IT) companies need more software engineers
- Geotechnical and structural engineers are needed to assist the rebuild of Christchurch, post-earthquake
Salary
The average salary for experienced engineers is around $129,786. For graduates, this varies between $50,000 for more entry-level roles and sometimes stretching up to $65,000. However, the world is your oyster with an engineering degree, and as a result, employers like Deloitte offer generous graduate salaries stretching up towards the $80,000 mark if you start as an Analyst.
Career Outlook
The need for Engineers has been increasing over the past few years. With the increased demand amongst engineering employers, plus consulting, banking, finance and IT companies trying to attract the best engineering talent to join their graduate programme, there will be no shortage of roles anytime soon.
How to get hired as an engineering student:
- Secure an internship, and ensure you get the most out of the experience
- Engage with relevant student societies
- Attend career fairs and industry events
- Sign up for your free student membership through Engineers New Zealand
And it would be remiss for us not to advise to keep a close eye on the Prosple NewZealand job board for all the latest graduate and internship engineering jobs available.