Are you studying an engineering degree, but aren’t sure what roles you can apply for after graduating? Engineering degrees give you very specific skills that can lead you to a range of jobs within STEM. Many of these jobs are directly related to the degree you are studying for, for example, if you are studying chemical engineering, you can find lots of jobs for chemical engineers. However, engineering degrees also open many doors to roles you may not have been aware of. Let’s take a closer look at some engineering degrees and the typical roles you may look for.
Civil Engineering
Civil engineering often leads to a career in the construction industry, designing materials or surveying buildings using the specialist knowledge gained during this degree. Careers include:
- Civil Engineer
- Transport Planning
- Building Surveyor
- Structural Engineer
- Design Engineer
- Quantity Surveying
Within these different roles, you could be working in industries such as, construction, transport, communication infrastructure, electricity, gas, and water. You may also work within the public sector or government to plan specific projects.
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering will allow you to move into a career in many industries, turning raw materials into useable items such as plastics, gas, and oil. Possible careers may be:
- Chemical Engineer
- Nuclear Engineer
- Process Development Scientist
- Energy Engineer
- Biotechnologist
Industries that convert raw materials into useable products rely on chemical engineers. Within the roles above you may be working in industries such as, nuclear energy, gas, oil, food processing and pharmaceuticals.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineers work to improve mechanical processes along with the design and use of machines. Likely careers include:
- Mechanical Engineer
- Aerospace Engineer
- Maintenance Engineer
- Automotive Engineer
- Computer-aided Design Technician
- Aeronautical Engineering
Mechanical engineering roles often place you in industries such as, development, installation, operations, management, and maintenance of machines. This can include roles within energy, manufacturing, medicine, railways, and sport.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers will likely work in industries such as renewable energy or transport, testing new technical developments and testing installations/systems. Possible careers are:
- Electrical Engineer
- Broadcast Engineer
- Aerospace Engineer
- Control and Instrumentation Engineer
- Acoustic Consultant
Electrical engineers can be found within industries such as, automotive, gaming, IT and power. Within these roles electrical engineers will be programming and testing circuit building blocks and developing software.
Computer or Software Engineering
Computer/Software engineering graduates work to develop computer hardware and software and branch into many different careers, such as:
- Big Data Engineer
- Data Scientist
- Machine Learning/AI
- Blockchain Developer
- Full Stack Developer
Computer/Software engineers work in industries including, hardware and software engineering, systems and web development, security analysis and computer systems analysis.
Other Roles
However, engineering degrees can be useful in many different fields and there are careers you may not have originally thought of.
IT consultancy
Computer/Software engineering graduates can move into a career in IT consultancy, using their specialist knowledge to monitor services and offer security etc. IT consultancy involves creating and implementing solutions to solve problems, integrating IT systems and training customers. An IT consultant will be regularly working with customers and so, along with technical skills, communication is highly important.
Logistics and Supply Chain
Engineering graduates can also work within logistic and supply chain careers, planning the movement of products to consumers, creating computer models and planning transport from A to B. Careers include manufacturing, production, sourcing, purchasing and supply chain planning.
Business
An engineering degree provides graduates with strong project planning/management skills, this makes careers in business ideal, such as project and operations management. Careers in business might involve you leading a team and planning large projects in order to help a company progress.
Finance
Engineering graduates have many of the skills needed for a career in finance. Careers include, accountancy, fintech and cryptocurrency. These careers all require skills such as analytical thinking, problem solving, and project management gained during an engineering degree.
Patent Attorney
An engineering degree can even be useful within a career as a Patent Attorney. In this role you would be drafting patents for inventors and will gain specialist knowledge in intellectual property law acting to enforce inventors’ rights if they are infringed.
Find your first role with STEM Graduates
“We place engineering graduates into various roles, and this year have placed 18 Engineering graduates into an engineering career. However, not all engineering graduates move into careers they originally thought they would as there are so many different opportunities within engineering, from design to technical sales, as well as opportunities in different sectors away from engineering, such as patent attorney” – Mark Newland, STEM Graduates Recruitment Manager.
To search for your graduate role, you can find our job board at https://www.stemgraduates.co.uk/jobs/. You can also find us on Twitter and Instagram @STEMgradutes, and on Facebook @STEMgraduatesUK to keep up to date with new job roles and top tips on developing your skills whilst at university!
