Organised by Professional Engineering and the IMechE, the event attracted over 3,000 registrations from 78 different countries. Attendees met prestigious exhibitors such as the Royal Navy and RAF, Cranfield University, Network Rail and BAE Systems, with the opportunity to apply for jobs on the day.
A packed schedule of curated seminars explored the challenges and opportunities facing young engineers. As Tomorrow’s Engineers Week kicks off, here are six bits of expert advice to help you get started in your career.
‘Do something that you find fun – success will follow’
Engineering has a huge and positive impact on society and the economy, IMechE president Terry Spall told the audience as he opened the event. He described it as a “great multiplier” – every time an engineering job is created, it creates an average of 1.74 jobs elsewhere in the economy.
The president stressed the ongoing issue of under-representation of women and ethnic minorities, and said everyone needs to work harder to create a diverse and inclusive sector. “Those who have the ability to be engineers should always have the opportunity,” he said.
Drawing on decades of experience, including jobs around the world, he encouraged young engineers to find something they enjoy doing – success will follow, he said. Other tips included learning through your experiences, not relying on good luck and developing your sense of empathy to get along well with others.
“Develop your own personal strategy… you only get one chance at life, so make it a good one. Get planning now,” he said.
Embrace challenges
The ocean is the most hostile working environment on the planet, said Royal Navy lieutenant Sam Hibberd during “What it takes to be an engineer in the Royal Navy”.
“Defects, engineering failures, they all occur and we need to know how to fix it,” he said. “You may be on a highly classified mission, and you may not even have communication with the outside world. Therefore if you have a complex issue you need to rely on yourselves, your team and your technical knowledge.”
Navy engineers might find themselves in high-pressure situations – jobs could include lifting a diesel engine the size of a bungalow during operational deployment, or fixing a leak on a submarine.
“You need to be able to embrace challenges,” said lieutenant Hibberd. “This may seem daunting but you have a great team, people in the same boat, a great team of individuals to help you along the way.”
Put the practice in
Members of the IMechE Young Members' Network discussed the highs and lows of their early careers with IMechE professional development advisor Lydia Amarquaye in “Speaking from experience”. The members debated the merits of internships, degrees and apprenticeships, and explained how they have tackled the challenges of Covid-19 and the lockdown.
The speakers, including a Rolls-Royce design engineer and a nuclear engineering apprentice, gave their advice for fellow young engineers. Practising your skills and refreshing your knowledge of key concepts is hugely important before interviews, said Kelly Lo, graduate engineer at Siemens.
“One piece of advice I would give to anyone who’s graduated or not – make sure you brush up and practise, it makes the biggest difference,” she said. “Do your research, plan ahead to know a bit about the company.”
Visit the website for more information about the Young Members' Network.
Graduate schemes can offer flexibility
Jay Kacou is a telecoms project engineer at Network Rail, doing vital work to develop the ‘digital railway’. Passenger numbers on the UK rail network have doubled over the last 20 years, and they are set to double again in the next 10 years. Such a huge rise needs new systems, and Network Rail is investing £38bn.
“It’s about using digital technology to improve the railway,” said Kacou. “We want to learn from other industries and make the most of it.”
He joined Network Rail on a graduate scheme, where he enjoyed the opportunity to specialise and pursue areas of interest. Now, he is setting up a telecoms graduate scheme, which is due to go live by September next year.
“The schemes are very flexible,” he said. “I personally trained as an electrical engineer but I’m currently with the telecoms team.”
‘Find a champion, find a sponsor and find a mentor’
Black and minority ethnic (BAME) engineers are under-represented in engineering, said Mara-Tafadzwa Makoni from the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE-UK) in an interview with Professional Engineering editor Amit Katwala.
Interest in engineering is not a problem, she said – over 32% of engineering students come from a BAME background. Less than 1% attend Russell Group universities, however, restricting the number that might be considered for roles. Career progression and very low levels of boardroom representation for people from BAME backgrounds are another issue.
“Representation is really important. We want to get to the point where we have more role models at the top,” said Makoni.
AFBE-UK aims to provide role models to encourage young people from BAME communities to follow Stem careers, with a network of 1,500 engineers. Seventy per cent of students they work with get a job a year after graduation.
“Go and find a mentor,” she said. “Imposter syndrome is brought about by under-representation, so it’s really important to have role models. Find a champion, find a sponsor and find a mentor.”
‘Don’t panic’
The final session of the day asked “Covid-19: What does it mean to my engineering career?” Panel members from the IMechE, industry and academia gave their advice for young engineers joining the job market during a time of economic turmoil and intense competition for jobs.
“Don’t panic,” was the tip from Susan Mercy, senior acoustic engineer at Qinetiq. “My advice, really, is to focus. A lot of people are pursuing jobs – tailor your letters to where you are applying and focus attention on a few companies.”
Despite the huge challenges in the sector, Patricia Ashman, associate head of the school of mechanical, aerospace and automotive engineering at Coventry University, said there was “never a better time to be an engineer,” thanks to current and future demand for skills. “There will be new opportunities and skillsets. Be reassured, there are jobs out there and they will be coming back.”
EngRec Live 2020 sessions are now available on-demand.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.