Are you an ambitious engineer looking to go far in the industry? In this guide we’ve put together some of our top tips for helping aspiring engineers excel in their career.

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Keep Learning

Regardless of how skilled or experienced you are, it’s important that you keep learning and improving your areas of expertise rather than remaining stagnant. Education at university is just the beginning of your education as an engineer – the most successful engineers are the ones that continue their learning and keep up to date with new trends and developments.

Have a look around and see if you can find any training courses or webinars that’ll benefit your knowledge. Not only will they be of value to your understanding of the industry but showing a willingness to improve your skills or knowledge off your own bat will demonstrate your enthusiasm and dedication, therefore making you more attractive to employers.

Never consider your education complete!

Build your CV

We can’t stress enough the importance of having a great CV. You need to be able to stand out from the competition – especially if you’re in a competitive and populated sector – and owning a comprehensive CV is often the first step in getting noticed by employers.

Make sure all relevant details are included in your CV, including all of your qualifications and key achievements. We also recommend highlighting specific work experience on your CV, explaining what you learned and how the experience benefitted you – even if it was in a non-engineering related role, describe how it taught you broader skills, such as attention to detail or health and safety, that you can apply to your engineering responsibilities.

Update LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn profile is effectively an online version of your CV. Keep it up to date and ensure that all vital information is listed. Many recruiters use LinkedIn on a regular basis to scout and headhunt for talent, so it’s a great platform for getting recognised by employers and notified of any vacant positions.

The Importance of Networking

One of our top tips is to never stop networking! Be sure to keep in touch with former classmates and colleagues, as well as attend engineering trade shows, conferences and lectures across the country. It’s one of the best ways you can advance your career and uncover new opportunities.

Regular networking is key as it will help you to create and maintain professional relationships that you may need to rely upon further down the line.

Develop your Soft Skills

Soft skills are just as important as technical skills. You need to be able to demonstrate reliability, teamwork and other employability skills otherwise you’ll be overlooked by employers and simply won’t be offered the job.

Communication is perhaps the most crucial soft skill you can develop. Engineers are usually required to attend meetings, liaise with clients and present lectures so excellent communication skills is something the management of most companies will be looking out for.

Experience Before Money

When looking for a job it’s always going to be tempting to choose the opportunity that is the most lucrative, but if you’re in the early days of your engineering career you need to make sure the position is right for you. Ignore how big or small the pay cheque is and instead base your choice on whether the role and nature of the company suits you. It’ll be much more worthwhile to complete work that allows your experience to expand as it’ll lead to more choices in the future.

Develop Business Skills

Go further than the world of engineering and spend time brushing-up on your business skills. Investigate aspects such as finance, project management, delegation and so on. It’ll help you to see and understand the bigger picture as well as put you in a better position if you were to ever consider going self-employed or starting up your own firm.

Sign-Up for Job Alerts

Another handy tip is to sign-up for job alerts. It’ll instantly notify you when any engineering vacancies related to your preferences become available, ensuring that you don’t miss out on any potential dream jobs.

Or if you’d prefer, send your CV to our recruitment experts. We’ll get to understand your specific skillset and utilise our vast network of reputable clients to find a job perfectly suited to your capabilities.

Be Flexible

The more flexible and open-minded you are in terms of geographical location, the more opportunities are likely to be open to you. If there doesn’t seem to be any jobs right for you in the nearby area, look further afield and show readiness to relocate. A move away from your home town may be unsettling at first, but it’ll definitely be worth it if it means you have a job you love.

Get Started with BMR Solutions

Here at BMR Solutions, we specialise in pairing talented individuals with some of the most established organisations in the south west of the UK.

So if you’re an aspiring engineer looking for trusted advice in regard to your next career move, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

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