Engineering students get masterclass in what employers are looking for

Engineers working for top companies including Rolls-Royce and Transport for London gave up their weekend to help encourage the next generation of talent into the profession.

Students on Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Software Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering were given a host of money-can’t –buy opportunities including top tips, personal guidance on writing winning CVs and interview advice as part of the event which aimed to encourage more engineers from diverse backgrounds.

“It was incredibly useful,” said first year Juan Ferreira, a Mechatronics student who wants to work in the health sector or renewable energy fields. “I’m only in my first year but having the opportunity to meet these people, ask them questions and hear what their experiences have been like has already helped me think differently about my job search once I leave university.”

The event was run by DMU’s Computing, Engineering and Media faculty in partnership with Transition and The Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers.

DMU engineering graduates shared their stories and the students were introduced to psychometric testing, a method used by many companies to assess whether new employees will be a good fit for them.

A motivational speaker was brought in to talk about body language and mental attitude in approaching job interviews, while engineers ran mock interviews giving feedback on students’ performance and showing them areas to improve as well as helping them develop a unique selling point to help them in interviews.

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Juan added: “A lot of the work was about presenting yourself more confidently which you don’t always think about. There was a chemical engineer who graduated from DMU who talked about how to get more out of placements, and not being afraid to speak to someone who has more experience than you to find out about what they do and how they got to that place in their career.

“I got a lot out of it – I’d give it a 9/10 and I hope there are more events like this for students.”