Identify engineering companies that provide diverse opportunity
This note provides a shortlist of engineering companies that are multi-sector and international. Working at these companies provides you with a platform to explore a range of sectors and roles in your early career. As a university graduate you may not know exactly where you want to head in the industry – if you choose a company that covers a broad spectrum you are keeping your options open.
Bigger companies are more likely to cover a broad spectrum
Some Industry publications, such as New Civil Engineer (NCE) produce lists of the top companies of the year. The nature of these awards means that most firms that participate are large companies. They can provide a good start for identifying large engineering design companies.
A broad search can be made in LinkedIn for companies in the civil engineering sector with more than 1000 employees that are based in the UK. The following list of 8 large engineering design companies is a good place to start if you are interested in working at a company that will provide you with a diverse range of opportunities.
Many engineering firms offer graduate schemes that provide a dynamic start to your career. In these programs, you'll experience rotations across different teams and sectors during your first year. While a majority of roles in engineering are more stationary, focusing on a specific position within the company, this doesn't limit your potential for growth and exploration.
When you begin, there's typically an expectation to commit to your initial role. However, forward-thinking companies often encourage their young staff to expand their industry experience. If you show interest and initiative, especially in areas where the company needs more expertise, there’s a good chance for internal mobility.
For instance, starting as a graduate structural engineer at a firm like AECOM could lead to specialization in niche areas such as bridge design, facade engineering, or fire engineering. Alternatively, you might find opportunities to pivot into softer engineering disciplines like project management, leveraging your technical background in new ways.
If international travel and work are part of your career aspirations, multinational engineering companies can offer such opportunities. However, it's advisable to focus first on excelling in your graduate role. Demonstrating commitment and competence in your initial position increases the likelihood of your employer supporting your international career ambitions in the future. Typically, after a few years of solid performance, companies are more open to considering requests for international assignments.
Remember, the key to success in these scenarios is a combination of initial dedication, ongoing skill development, and clear communication of your career aspirations with your employer. This approach not only benefits your personal growth but also aligns with the company's needs and opportunities.
Challenges of working at a big company
Working at a very large company is not for everyone. Large companies can tend to be very structured and hierarchal – good if you like support and stability, but not best-suited to someone who prefers a dynamic and ambitious environment. The projects you would expect to work on at these companies are large, and possibly not local to your office. This brings its challenges – you need to be a team player, and might not get many early opportunities to manage projects or be a team leader. If these opportunities are important to you it may be better to focus your search on smaller companies.
Note by WIll W
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