Chemical Engineering!

Stephen Esquire

Just got accepted into UCC's level 8 programme this week and really looking forward to it.Out of interest anybody here have any employment experience in the industry?Everybody I've talked to said they enjoy their work and there are good career prospects for graduates, but guess I just want more reaffirmation from the good people of the boards!

imported_guy

Stephen Esquire wrote: »

Just got accepted into UCC's level 8 programme this week and really looking forward to it.Out of interest anybody here have any employment experience in the industry?Everybody I've talked to said they enjoy their work and there are good career prospects for graduates, but guess I just want more reaffirmation from the good people of the boards!

my uncle was a chem engineer, and my 1st choice was that too, but i only got mech engg , you can work in petrochemical industry, pharmacutical, wepons design, alternate energy sector, research, you can even work for bridgestone to design F1 tyres...

glaston

Job prospects are good but getting the first job is the difficult bit, took me about 9 months. I made the mistake of not applying to the big Pharma companies when the visited the facualty in 4th year.

Make sure you get relevant work experience during the summer months.

Maths was easy, thermodynamics not so... (for me amyway)

muboop1

Doing a summer internship before i start my 4th year in Chemical Engineering at the moment.

Make sure you get an internship at least one of the summers.

If you can manage that jobs will be found for you.

Interviewers etc always give preference to those with experience as at least you know if you like the field and have some sort of experience even if in a totally different area,.

Beyond that, course is hard, future pay grade high.

I love it!

Also, i don't know where this stat was taken from, but one my lecturers mentioned that 80% of engineering graduates end up in a different field?
So wouldn't worry to much about it.

Oh and random, some of the "big 4" business companies will recruit you straight form college instead of just usual engineering jobs.

Apparently we have a different approach to problem solving that they value enough to hire ahead of some business graduates.

Oh and a fact i love is that 21% of all CEO's from the top 500 companies have engineering degrees. Most those companies aren't engineering based...

So even if you decide late on Chemical isn't your thing, always pays to be an engineer!

Stephen Esquire

That sounds pretty cool!Out of interest where are ya studying atm?

muboop1

Stephen Esquire wrote: »

That sounds pretty cool!Out of interest where are ya studying atm?

assuming directed at me?

I'm a UCD student.

I can't vouch for UCC or whatever, but in UCD its a very close class etc..

Its small enough you get to know everyone. And have few classes with rest of engineers so have great massive group of lads n gals n college!

A lot of the Pharma companies and stuff are based in Cork.
Likes of Elli Lilly etc love taking UCC students.

Mate working down there, visited him for a while, seemed nice bunch of ppl!(UCC students working with him that is)

I think we had out of our class of like 35... a good 25+ of us got internships, pay ranging from 370 a week to 610.

Nice summer pay in a recession!

Stephen Esquire

Yeah it's 23 people for our course I know 4 others from my old school so it wont be scary as if I were going in alone, hopefully I'll get to know the other people fairly quick!Theres a 6 month paid work placement in 3rd year here too, by the way things are going i'd say that will be my first job ever!

muboop1

Stephen Esquire wrote: »

Yeah it's 23 people for our course I know 4 others from my old school so it wont be scary as if I were going in alone, hopefully I'll get to know the other people fairly quick!Theres a 6 month paid work placement in 3rd year here too, by the way things are going i'd say that will be my first job ever!

Is the placement gotten for you in the college or is it up to you to find it?

(btw the small class is great :pac: )

Stephen Esquire

It's a mandatory part of the course, you do a report/presentation which contributes to your overall grade so I think the college does!I pity the guy who has to find 23 jobs for 3rd years this year! :eek:

hmmmm52

i've decided on chemical engineering as my first choice for next year. but not sure on which university to go for....ucd or ucc.
ucc would be more convenient in many ways but then ucd seems to be the place to go for this particular engineering degree.
any opinions or suggestions?