The future of engineering in Ireland

JayMcD

Hi,

I'll be attending NUI Galway studying Mechanical Eng. in september 2010 as a mature student, 26.

I'll be graduating in 2014, (hopefully) as a 30 yr old.
I have 4 years experience in design and manufacturing in the marine industry, have qualifications in AutoCAD 2D/3D and machine operating fetac cert. with work experience in a speacialist engineering company, (medical device, and prototyping), so thats my back round.

I often wonder whats the Irish engineering sector is heading,
based in Galway theres alot of research and development in the medical industry as there's alot of multinational companies based here, eg. Boston Scientific, Medtronic etc.

I'd rather stay away from that sector as it doesn't suit me, I'd be more towards engine development and efficency, "free" energy, green energy,
Inventing, rather than maintaining, designing etc.

What do the engineers, students etc. out there think about the Irish Engineering sector and where its heading?
As much as I'd love to do my own research and projects I'll still have to pay the bills in a steady job, if you know what I mean.

Turbulent Bill

Beyond the big multinationals there are a wealth of smaller companies working in particular fields, energy research included. Off the top of my head I think WaveBob are based in Galway, and there must be many, many more in related fields. Larger companies get the most media attention, but there are plenty of alternatives to these.

You actually have a great opportunity in college to learn about what's out there, make contacts with the main players etc. You must differentiate yourself from the hundreds of others looking at energy jobs as the next big thing. There's no reason why you can't have an interesting and steady job.

BlackEdelweiss

I wouldent worry too much about it until 2013 because who knows where the engineering industry will be then. I qualified last June and went straight to the dole, when I was enquiring about doing the course 4 years ago the head of the engineering dept told me that she did not know any unemployed engineers and employment prospects were brilliant. If I asked her now she might be hard pressed to name an engineer with a job.
My advice is, dont worry about it now, enjoy college as much as you can, enjoy the freedom and lack of responsibility college life can offer. Who knows, there might even be a few jobs around when you finish.

Turbulent Bill

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

My advice is, dont worry about it now, enjoy college as much as you can, enjoy the freedom and lack of responsibility college life can offer. Who knows, there might even be a few jobs around when you finish.

By all means enjoy the college life (I did ), but if the OP passively goes through his course he will just be in the same position as everyone else graduating at the same time. It doesn't take much effort to position yourself better (through industry groups, work placements etc.) to get an edge.

Nobody knows what will happen in 2014, but being genuinely engaged in your field could be the difference between getting and not getting a job, or getting a good rather than average job if the economy picks up.

matsil

Jay,

Just to say up front - I am a chartered mechanical engineer, and have worked in many areas including consulting, design, industry, renewables, and currently Energy. Mechanical Engieering is an excellent course as it is so versatile, and the engieering principles that it is based upon will not get outdated by technology or go out of fashion, and it has stood to me very well.

You will be coming out the other end in 2014 - by then our economy will have eiher crashed totally or raised from the ashes. I think and hope the latter. You will by then have plenty of oportunities. With mech eng. you could be working for Wave Bob, or wind turbines for airtricity, or the corrib gas line, or as a design engieer for boston sci., or for the council as a services engineer...... it could take you anywhere you want it to.

The whole green energy thing, or "green wash" as its being referred to will fade from speciality to norm. Energy efficiency will become normal too, just like unleaded petrol did. Where you are at the moment, you are in a unique and sheltered position in that you can bend your education as you move through it toward the path that (a) you want to take, an (b) where the economy is going. I would be very optimistic if I were you. Furthermore, I would start planting my irons now if I were you. I would start researcing the kind of companies you want to work for - write to them, asking their advice on career options, and fishing for oportunities to do a project with them for your final year....... and offer free work experience during mid term and that sort of thing....... it will be worth more to you than your degree to have industrial contacts in 4 years time!

Good luck!

Irish_Elect_Eng

matsil wrote: »

Jay,


T Furthermore, I would start planting my irons now if I were you. I would start researcing the kind of companies you want to work for - write to them, asking their advice on career options, and fishing for oportunities to do a project with them for your final year....... and offer free work experience during mid term and that sort of thing....... it will be worth more to you than your degree to have industrial contacts in 4 years time!

Good luck!

Excellent Advice....

"and offer free work experience during mid term and that sort of thing....

As an Interviewer this would really pick you out from the crowd as a self aware career engineer....

"fishing for oportunities to do a project with them for your final year...."

As an Interviewer I love to see projects based in reality with real specifications deadlines etc....


Two excellent pieces of advice that would raise any candidates CV above the graduate average, listen to this poster.

BlackEdelweiss

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

Excellent Advice....

"and offer free work experience during mid term and that sort of thing....

As an Interviewer this would really pick you out from the crowd as a self aware career engineer....

I think the offering to work for free thing has died a bit, everybody was offering to work for free to get a bit of experience in the last few years so it wouldent make you stand out from the crowd anymore. It is actually very hard to even get this kind of work now aswell as there are so many people offering their services for free.

2011

offer free work experience during mid term and that sort of thing....... it will be worth more to you than your degree to have industrial contacts in 4 years time!

I could not agree more.

I worked (as a student on work experience) for a well know consultancy for the summer of 2008. I was paid very little money, but I did it to gain experience and for the benefit of my CV.

Before I graduated in 2009 I was offered a position with the same company and I have been delighted to be working full time with this company ever since.

Some might say I was luck (perhaps I am), but I am convinced that if I had not been there on work experience I would not have been offered a job.

Irish_Elect_Eng

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

I think the offering to work for free thing has died a bit, everybody was offering to work for free to get a bit of experience in the last few years so it wouldent make you stand out from the crowd anymore. It is actually very hard to even get this kind of work now aswell as there are so many people offering their services for free.

I have interviewed approximately 75 engineers for 6 positions over the last couple of years, of the interviewees approximately half were graduates with no experience. Not a single one of those engineers had any voluntary experience, outside of their placement were applicable.:(

There was a lot of talk about voluntary of free experience over the last few years, but I would hazard a guess that few if any inexperienced engineers actually bothered getting out of their seats and taking this route.:(

Our company (Employing approx 500) has never received even once request for a free experience / voluntary placement, either directly to engineering or via Human Resources. (Excluding requests for college placements, which are paid.):(

engsmeng

I dont post much but am a regular viewer but this thread struck a cord with me.

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

I have interviewed approximately 75 engineers for 6 positions over the last couple of years, of the interviewees approximately half were graduates with no experience. Not a single one of those engineers had any voluntary experience, outside of their placement were applicable.

There was a lot of talk about voluntary of free experience over the last few years, but I would hazard a guess that few if any inexperienced engineers actually bothered getting out of their seats and taking this route.

Irish_Elect_Eng as you seem to have interviewed for jobs in the eng field you seem perfect to answer my question. When it comes to engineering experience does the "Calibre" of the experience have an impact, i dont know if thats the best way to say what im trying to say but i cant think of another way. I have nearly 4 years part time experience as a motor mechanic in the family business, and as such have dealt with every aspect that the trade entails, problem diagnosis and repair, vehicle electronics and modification and replacement of parts, engines ect. I am in my final year of a Mechanical Engineering degree in one of the major colleges, with the speciality leaning towards renewable energies, Technology and Vehicles.
My question for you is would this in your experience count as relevant experience, and help give me the edge you spoke of over non experienced graduates?
(Im guessig you work in the Elec field but your input would be greatly appreciated, Thanks in advance)

Irish_Elect_Eng

engsmeng wrote: »

....When it comes to engineering experience does the "Calibre" of the experience have an impact...
... I have nearly 4 years part time experience as a motor mechanic in the family business, and as such have dealt with every aspect that the trade entails, problem diagnosis and repair, vehicle electronics and modification and replacement of parts, engines ect.

... the speciality leaning towards renewable energies, Technology and Vehicles...
My question for you is would this in your experience count as relevant experience, and help give me the edge you spoke of over non experienced graduates?

Most certainly your experience is relevant and valuable.
How valuable that experience will be when doing an interview will depend on two factors:

(1) The relevance to the particular job that you are applying for.
(2) How good you are at "selling" that experience to a prospective employer.

Key items to focus on would be:

Problem Solvingg - Have a detailed (true) story of a particular instance where you solved a tricky problem, be able to explain how you work through a problem and show how your experience taught you to evaluate different possible solutions to a problem.

Hands On Experience - Emphasis can be place on the fact that you have hands-on experience, that you have seen both good and bad example of mechanical design in action (Have examples, badly fitting parts, poor tolerances?, Creative designs, features that made a mechanic's life easier etc.) You could reflect on the fact that you would be very aware of the end users when designing parts/products as you understand how design decisions impact on users experience of the product.

Part/Information Sourcing - Highlight how you sourced difficult to find parts, how you tracked down Vehicle service manuals, how you learned how to read schematics, pneumatic diagrams etc.

Learning from a Mentor - Show how you learned about the trade from more experienced mechanics, possible comment that you are looking forward to developing the theoretical knowledge gained in college by working with senior engineers or other team membersn experts in other fields.

Commitment to Mechanical Engineering as a Career - You can sell your experience as the reason that you went into Mech. Engineering, that you are committed to this as a career. (Sometimes candidates come across as if their degree and the job that they are interviewing for are just stepping stones to their futuree, it is nice to see a candidate the views the job on offer as something that they would be "delighted" to do day to day)

Etc......

Your experience will either be enhance or diluted by how you present it to your prospective employer. So put yourself far ahead of the field and actually practice interviewing. Most graduates interviewed learn how to interview at interviews, that is not a very productive methodology.



Here is a good website with lots of high quality interview questions and some possible answers.

http://www.redgoldfish.co.uk/interview-tips-and-advice.aspx

Does your degree include a work placement ? If so you should make the most of that as an opportunity to buffer your experience. Ideally get your placement employer to assign you a project that can be completed within the time-frame of the placement and ask for new experience every month that you are there. Don't just sit at a desk plugging away for the 6 months. Make yourself invaluable, I have offered a job to a co-op student that performed well in the past, that job was never advertised.

Good Luck.

Lu Tze

matsil wrote: »

Jay,

Just to say up front - I am a chartered mechanical engineer, and have worked in many areas including consulting, design, industry, renewables, and currently Energy. Mechanical Engieering is an excellent course as it is so versatile, and the engieering principles that it is based upon will not get outdated by technology or go out of fashion, and it has stood to me very well.

You will be coming out the other end in 2014 - by then our economy will have eiher crashed totally or raised from the ashes. I think and hope the latter. You will by then have plenty of oportunities. With mech eng. you could be working for Wave Bob, or wind turbines for airtricity, or the corrib gas line, or as a design engieer for boston sci., or for the council as a services engineer...... it could take you anywhere you want it to.

The whole green energy thing, or "green wash" as its being referred to will fade from speciality to norm. Energy efficiency will become normal too, just like unleaded petrol did. Where you are at the moment, you are in a unique and sheltered position in that you can bend your education as you move through it toward the path that (a) you want to take, an (b) where the economy is going. I would be very optimistic if I were you. Furthermore, I would start planting my irons now if I were you. I would start researcing the kind of companies you want to work for - write to them, asking their advice on career options, and fishing for oportunities to do a project with them for your final year....... and offer free work experience during mid term and that sort of thing....... it will be worth more to you than your degree to have industrial contacts in 4 years time!

Good luck!

Speaking as somebody who went through civil with many friends in mechanical engineering, ill reiterate this. They seemed to have a much better course, practical and well rounded. It has the most possibility coming out of it as well, as the it should be easier transfer over into the other engineering disciplines should one chose to transfer over via post-grad.

dan_d

On the note, is it possible to transfer from civil to Mech? Does anybody know how it can be done?
I'm a civil engineer, and looking for a change in direction.When I went into engineering in 2001, I dithered between civil and mech for a year, and eventually settled on civil.That's dead at the moment, but I still love engineering (I'm a nerd!!!), and am considering changing over.
Any pointers??

Darren1o1

dan_d wrote: »

On the note, is it possible to transfer from civil to Mech? Does anybody know how it can be done?
I'm a civil engineer, and looking for a change in direction.When I went into engineering in 2001, I dithered between civil and mech for a year, and eventually settled on civil.That's dead at the moment, but I still love engineering (I'm a nerd!!!), and am considering changing over.
Any pointers??

Masters degree??

Lu Tze

Darren1o1 wrote: »

Masters degree??

Yeah a masters, have seen a few mechanical engineers who did this to get into civil. Other than that i guess brush up on your thermodynamics and 3 dimensional fluid mechanics!

Darren1o1

Lu Tze wrote: »

Yeah a masters, have seen a few mechanical engineers who did this to get into civil. Other than that i guess brush up on your thermodynamics and 3 dimensional fluid mechanics!

You can avoid these, unless you would like to focus on them. Also DCU does a few courses if required as a Pre masters course to get you up to snuff. I am doing the computer aided mechanical and manufacturing engineering (CAMME) program at DCU. Some of the stuff like FEA and Sustainable water supply may complement you Civil background, and then you could segway into other stuff... Lecturers are very helpful!

dan_d

Great advice, thanks guys. DCU look to have the best choice of "conversion" courses alright, good to hear from people who are doing it.
(Sorry for the thread hijacking!)