Mechanical engineering graduates are also suited to careers in finance and management
Jobs directly related to your degree include:
- Aerospace engineer
- Automotive engineer
- CAD technician
- Contracting civil engineer
- Control and instrumentation enginer
- Maintenance engineer
- Mechnical engineer
- Nuclear engineer
Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
- Acoustic consultant
- Clinical technologist
- Corporate investment banker
- Land-based engineer
- Mining engineer
- Patent attorney
- Production manager
- Technical sales engineer
- Water engineer
Work experience
Employers value pre-entry work experience and especially that
relating to the career you'd like to pursue. Some degree courses offer a year
in industry, which is valuable as this will help you develop your skills and
commercial awareness.
If you'd like to get into engineering and your course doesn't
offer a placement, try to secure one yourself during the summer holidays.
Getting in touch directly with large engineering employers will show you take
your work seriously. The work is often hands-on and provides a good insight
into the engineering environment. It can also be a good idea to shadow
different engineers to help you decide which area you'd like to work in.
Typical employers
Mechanical engineering deals with the design, development, installation, operation and maintenance of anything that has moving parts. Because of this, you'll find relevant opportunities in a range of sectors, including:
- Aerospace engineering
- Automotive engineering
- Constructionenergy
- Manufacturing
- Medicine
- Railway engineering
- Sport.
Work experience provides opportunities for networking which can sometimes lead to a job.
There are plenty of opportunities to work
abroad as a mechanical engineer.
Skills for your CV
A mechanical engineering degree is a combination of maths, science, technology, business and management. Courses are designed to ensure graduates are:
- able to solve problems using both logic and creative and innovative approaches
- Numerate and highly computer literate, with excellent analytical skills
- Able to plan and prioritise, work to deadlines and under pressure
- Cost/value-conscious and aware of the necessary social, cultural, environmental, health and safety, and wider professional responsibilities
- Capable of careful attention to detail, exercising good judgement and accepting responsibility
- Able to communicate with others and work in multidisciplinary teams.
Most courses have a strong focus on preparation for professional practice, but they'll provide you with skills that are suitable for a range of careers.
Further study
Many students enrol onto M.E programmes for their first degree.
These are integrated five-year Master courses, recognised as offering extended
and enhanced programmes of study. Others complete a separate Masters after
their first degree.
An M.E is essentially for PhD, combining
Doctoral-level research with training in practical skills. Research engineers
are usually placed with industrial (or sometimes academic) sponsors, and there
is a possibility that you may be employed by your sponsor at the end of the
programme.
What do mechanical engineering graduates do?
A quarter (24%) of mechanical engineering
graduates employed in the UK are working as mechanical engineers fifteen months
after graduation. Seven of the top ten most popular jobs are in engineering and
programming roles.