Engineering workplaces are evolving for a variety of reasons – due to rapid technological change, an increasing trend towards contract and part-time employment, and Millennial employees wanting more than ‘just a job’.
According to Stephanie Somerville, Manager Graduate and Career Services at Engineers Australia, another change in recent times has been a “war on talent” for graduates – not only between employers, but also students.
“With an average of 10,000 [engineers] graduating every year, students want to be the best candidates for the top jobs and most are going above and beyond to get in the door,” she says.
Jason Downes, Manager, Technical & Engineering at Hudson Recruiting, says engineers should develop a multi-pronged strategy to finding work.
As well as applying for advertised jobs, this might include approaching employers directly, networking online and in person, and updating their LinkedIn profile. He also recommends joining special interest engineering groups and professional associations such as Engineers Australia and considering relocating to a regional area.
“Regional engineering companies find it very difficult to source quality talent, therefore looking for work in regional areas means you might be able to secure work faster,” Mr Downes explains.
Engineering companies are also looking for more than just technical ability and ‘book smarts’, Ms Somerville says. They are seeking well-rounded engineers with communication and interpersonal skills, and the agility to adapt as the job market evolves.
Mr Downes agrees that employers are looking for well-rounded candidates.
“If you can find an intelligent, highly technical individual who is also emotionally intelligent and has the ability to influence a variety of people to drive positive project outcomes – then you have the unicorn engineer,” he says.
How have things changed?
Technological advances – including cloud services, fast cellular networks, and smartphones – are changing the way engineers do business. International teams can access plans and documents from multiple global locations, and be productive when of the office – for example, in airport lounges on business trips.
These advances mean that the skills graduate engineers learn from their university degrees will quickly be superseded. This process is estimated to take five years, or three years for software engineers.
While challenging, Ms Somerville says the short ‘half-life’ of degrees creates an opportunity for young engineers to bring new knowledge to employers and gain experience in the art of learning and modern, flexible forms of education.
“That said, new grads do face the challenge of having only limited ‘real world’ experience in putting their knowledge and ability to learn into effective use. But part of the value of an Australian engineering degree is the strong focus on being able to put knowledge to use in practice,” Ms Somerville adds.
One example she provided of a highly practical degree is Swinburne University’s Bachelor of Engineering Practice, which immerses students in project work with industry partners.
Companies are also favouring fixed term contracts and hourly or daily rates when employing engineers over full-time ongoing employment conditions.
According to Mr Downes, new graduates could take advantage of this trend to build up their resume.
“Often graduates want to land a permanent role in the greatest firm in town … shorter-term opportunities give them the chance to build up a range of knowledge and experiences,” he explains.
Changing the world
Ms Somerville believes that most students have chosen to study engineering because it is a career that enables them to create positive change.
“Our early-career members are Millennials. They are the generation that are the most highly educated ‒ and by bringing their own diversity of thought and innovation to the industry, they are changing how the game is played,” she explains.
Millenials have a clearer sense of what they want to achieve, according to Mr Downes – and need more than just a 9-to-5 job. He says that many younger employees are driving corporate involvement in social initiatives such as supporting charities.
He suggests young engineers put these qualities to work during job interviews, and clearly articulate their goals using a staged project planning approach. He also recommends that they are realistic in their expectations of employers, who need to balance social responsibility with their engineering business commitments.
Other opportunities which can help young engineers change the world include participating in programs such as Engineers Australia’s Student Ambassador program, and Engineers Without Borders’ Humanitarian Design Summit.
Challenges and Opportunities
The new-look engineering workplace has opened up a range of challenges and opportunities for young engineers.
According to Ms Somerville, young engineers strive to balance professional excellence with their social and family life. Some graduates are very ambitious, but it’s important to keep expectations realistic, she says.
“It’s hard to encourage students to slow down and change their goals, however there is so much to learn from life and career,” says Ms Somerville.
Students and graduates also have access to an array of professional development opportunities at university and in the workforce, such as: overseas volunteering, paid and unpaid internships, scholarships, awards, and events and conferences, Ms Somerville says.
“They should make the most of these ‘career enhancers’ any chance they get,” she adds.
Ms Somerville recommends that young engineers tailor career-enhancing activities to suit their time capacity.
“Take advantage of online resources such as the Engineers Australia Facebook page, webinars and create digital articles first. Then when you have more time, look at attending one networking event per quarter,” she says.
How can Engineers Australia help?
Engineers Australia has a range of resources and events to support students and graduates.
One of these resources is the recently launched Frontier online community – the young engineer’s guide to getting ahead. Ms Somerville recommends joining Frontier to keep up-to-date with resources and member-only content.
“Frontier includes an exclusive Facebook community and app, and connects students and grads to information, news, resources and events,” Ms Somerville explains.
Engineers Australia also runs two flagship events for early-career members. Elevation brings young engineers together with employers to discuss graduate opportunities; and the Career Masterclass takes professional members of Engineers Australia into universities to help students gain skills for vacation and graduate employment.
The professional body also runs a national career webinar series, and Graduate Edge events support young members to understand and develop a path to becoming a Chartered Engineer.
Other great resources are the Young Engineers Australia groups in each state; and for international students wanting to work in Australia – Engineers Australia’s Migration Skills Assessment service.