Engineer - You're Hired!
Engineering You’re Hired is all about developing the skills that will make you a highly employable engineer, and being able to evidence those skills. You will do this by getting some experience of working in the way of a professional engineer, and facing some of the challenges often faced in the real workplace. This will help you in the future when employers ask you about how you work on application forms and at interviews
As well as the technical skills you are developing through your studies, an employer is likely to want you to be able to display a range of other skills showing that you can:
- Work effectively – Can you set your own goals , making sure you tackle the key problems to achieve your aim? Can you manage your time so that you meet deadlines?
- Work with your colleagues – Can you cooperate with a team to achieve a common goal? Can you explain your technical knowledge to non-specialists? Can you interpret and take into account factors outside of your specialism in reaching a decision?
- Work with a client – Can you understand the factors of importance to industry, not just the technical goals. Can you produce work of a high standard even under pressure and shifting deadlines (or goals)?
Some of the general skills that you should be able to show you possess by the end of your degree are summarised below:
- efficient planner – e.g. being able to plan, prioritise and manage own workload
- flexible team worker – e.g. being able to influence and work well with others
- entrepreneurial – e.g. by being creative and innovative, and able to understand and manage risk
- critical thinker – e.g. analytical and by showing interest beyond your own discipline
- technically competent – e.g. being confident in applying your knowledge and skills to authentic challenges
- accomplished communicator – e.g. by listening and communicating with technical and non-technical audiences
- culturally agile e.g. being able to work in diverse cultural settings
- knowledgeable about global affairs
The Engineering You’re Hired week will give you examples of when you have shown these skills that you can tell employers about.
There will be prizes for the best presentations!
*It is not expected that groups will develop a full technical solution or design to ‘solve’ the problem as there will not be enough time in the week. Instead, you should research existing solutions and produce outline ideas / solutions showing consideration of, and adaptation to the wider social, ethical and sustainability issues associated with the community.