Engineering: career FAQs
How can I get a job in engineering?
Equipped with strong vocational skills, engineers are in a position to take up employment immediately after graduation. Career progression patterns are varied, given the enormous range and scope of roles, activities and work environments for engineers. Many graduates with strong initiative, interpersonal and team project management skills move into managerial roles within ten years of qualifying. A commitment to continuing professional development and education is very important, particularly in the electronics fields.
Most graduates will strive to get on to graduate programmes accredited by Engineers Ireland or the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Many of the large companies recruit on campus so ask your careers service about upcoming presentations.
Further study can also give you an edge in your job hunt. You should also note that students in the Republic graduating in 2013 onwards will need to do a Masters course or equivalent to be eligible for the title ‘Chartered Engineer’.
What are the different areas of work?
An engineering background gives you flexibility in the job market and there are many career options available.
A sizeable proportion of engineering vacancies in the Republic of Ireland are within the chemical and electrical /electronic engineering sectors. Mechanical engineering is also a significant engineering employment sector. Within the construction industry, you can work in building services engineering and civil engineering.
The manufacturing industry is another major employer of engineers. There are two distinctive categories of activity: direct engineering-related products and services; and all other industrial manufacturing enterprises. The engineering sector itself has a diverse range of companies, including aerospace/aviation, agricultural machinery and process engineering.
Other industrial manufacturing falls into three main categories in Ireland: biosystems and food production; chemicals, pharmaceuticals and plastics; and electrical/electronic/microelectronic and precision instruments. The chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector has seen considerable growth in recent years and there are also opportunities in the telecommunications and ICT industries, for example working as a network engineer.
Beyond these traditional areas, the drive by the government and industry towards innovation and a knowledge-based economy means new and exciting research and development (R&D) careers for engineering graduates, particularly in disciplines such as electrical, electronic or microelectronic engineering, biomedical engineering and mechatronics.
The drive towards renewable energies, green technologies and sustainability, as well as recent legislative changes, will provide many opportunities for all engineering disciplines, specifically those from an environmental engineering background.
What’s involved in the application process?
Most large organisations have application forms and can hold up to three interviews. Following the first interview, successful applicants will then need to attend a technical and an HR interview.
When should I apply?
Large companies usually approach institutions directly, visiting campuses as part of the graduate recruitment process and liaising with a specific engineering department or faculty and with the college careers service. They may also attend recruitment fairs on campus. Smaller companies usually have a less structured approach to recruitment, often recruiting on an ‘as needed’ basis.
What qualifications and skills do I need to work in engineering?
Employers look for graduate engineers with a strong technical background, good problem-solving skills, the ability to work well as part of a team, and excellent communication skills. To progress your career it’s also important to have commercial awareness and business acumen, initiative and leadership and management potential.
Career progression patterns are varied, given the enormous range and scope of roles, activities and work environments for engineers. Many graduates with strong initiative, interpersonal and team project management skills move into managerial roles within ten years of qualifying.
What are the opportunities for professional development?
A commitment to continuing professional development and education is very important, particularly in the electronics and ICT fields.
Graduate engineers from all core disciplines should aim to achieve accredited chartered engineer status. Chartered engineers are seen as professionals who possess a recognised and guaranteed level of skills, competences and standards. The first step for graduates is to get a position with an employer that runs a graduate programme accredited with Engineers Ireland or the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
What are the salaries in engineering?
The gradireland Graduate Salary & Graduate Recruitment Trends Survey 2011 found that the median starting salary for engineering (across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) is €30,568 – considerably higher than most other sectors.
What is working life like?
A career in engineering offers you a varied, fulfilling and challenging career across many fields:
- You can work outdoors on a site, indoors on a production floor or in a lab/test facility doing research.
- You can work on your own or as part of a team.
- You could be based in a large firm or with a smaller employer.
- You could have the opportunity to travel, working for international companies or on overseas projects.
You can gain satisfaction knowing that you are involved in worthwhile projects which impact on the world and people’s everyday lives, for example improving a daily commute, growing a business or working on a developing-world irrigation system. And you get to work on practical projects with tangible results.
You are challenged to be innovative, creative and inventive, responding to a dynamic ever-changing world. You are forced to come up with solutions using logical, structured thinking. And you have to be able to communicate all these ideas to colleagues and clients.
Where can I find further information?
Engineers Ireland
Professional body
Steps to Engineering
Engineers Ireland’s careers website for school students.
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)
Grant-making body supporting research in science, mathematics and engineering.
Discover Science & Engineering (DSE)
Promoting science, technology, innovation and engineering among students, teachers and the public.
My Science Career
DSE’s careers website