Non-engineering career path

Brian CivilEng

Can anyone here help me open my eyes a little. I graduated as a Civil Engineer in 2003 and have spent 5 years working in a civil engineering consultants since then. I never saw myself doing anything other than engineering but the recession had other plans. I've been looking for engineering work for a year and it's not happening, time to broaden my search.

My problem is that I have become tunnel-visioned over the last few years and find it difficult to imagine myself in any other role. I am told that companies in many different industries value an engineering degree, and that I should try my luck elsewhere. What are these industries though, I sit down with google and the phonebook every day and finding where to target my jobsearch seems a daunting task? I'm still young enough to start from scratch. I just need to broaden my horizons, anyone got any suggestions.

Your help is much appreciated.

PS I've been on boards for years but am currently locked out of my user account. Until I post 25 times I can't have a sig, so I will finish every post by saying that i am the user formerly known as abitofacomedian.

Diabhal_Glas

The worlds your oyster, the main question id have is:

What do you want to do?

example

You could do an MSC in the uk in some other sort of Engineering

example Mechanical Engineering: Cranfield University, UK - design of rotating machines (all they require is an honours degree from a numerical background)

Graduate Medicine: do you have a 2:1? you have to sit the GAMSAT exam, & 50 grand or so fees and you are in..

Accounting? you could maybe pick up an apprenticeship as your degree is of a numerical background. London may be better than good ol Eire at the moment.

It all boils down to what interests you

I hear of lots of people getting jobs now in the middle east in construction? would you emigrate..

Let us know what you decide

Irish_Elect_Eng

The first thing you need to do is to decide what you want to do and if your really want to change, every career hits ruts and there are many ways to overcome them without changing careers.

But if you want to change a great book to read is "What Color is your parachute?" it cives great advice about skills transfer and complimentary career parths.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Color-Your-Parachute-Career-changers/dp/15800893

It might also be worthwhile to take some time out to perform a careers SWOT analysis and find out what you would enjoy doing, use a book like this one. "The Career Change Handbook: How to Find Out What You're Good at and Enjoy - Then Get Someone to Pay You for It"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Career-Change-Handbook-Youre-Someone/dp/1845282817/ref=pd_sim_b_6




05

dan_d

In a similar position to the OP. Thanks to the last poster for their advice, I'll be giving that a try too.:D

graduate

In my opinion the way forward is to abstract a bit from your present position. Engineering is the application of scientific and mathematical principles for problem solving. Presently you are using these techniques for structures and the like. There is an enormous need for this type of thinking in all sorts of fields, from the Geographic Information Systems to Business Analytics. If you want change then there are things that are cognate, although it might not seem that way.