graduate engineering job - civil electrical mechanical to chemical

The recent IT explosion and ever-expanding construction industry have created huge demand for engineering graduates, so if you are one of them, you are well placed for the future.

Deciding which career path to follow can be tough and, even within engineering itself, there are many choices available to you.

To give you some idea of the wide range of disciplines within this industry, here's a brief description of the different areas.

Civil engineering

Civil engineers work on projects with local authorities, rail companies, harbour boards, oil companies and so on, perhaps to build new rail links, towns or airports. Engineers may be involved in the entire process, from reaching an agreement with management on a scheme for new facilities to the supervision of the operation.

Aeronautical engineering

This job could involve anything from computer-assisted design of airframes and wings for aircraft to wind tunnel trials.

Chemical and bio-chemical engineers

These engineers are involved in research and development; they manage the safety implications and environmental impact of certain activities.

Electronic engineering

This area is concerned with the design, assembly and testing of electronic circuits. Electronic engineers put components together to form an electronic system.

Mechanical engineers

Mechanical engineers work in organisations that manufacture mechanical parts or equipment and may design new products or redevelop existing ones.

Design engineers

Communication with the research and development and production and marketing departments is essential for design engineers. They liaise with these to work on product design.

Manufacturing and production engineers

This area of engineering ensures that manufacturing equipment is fully operational, and involves planning for changes required to produce a product that is slightly or totally different to the one currently manufactured.

Structural engineers

Structural engineers liaise with clients to discuss the details of the structure they need for a building, bridge, mast, turbine or aeroplane.

As you can see, there are hugely varied areas within engineering and this list is not comprehensive. It is important to consider your strengths and weaknesses and decide which area is best for you - check out different companies and decide which you would prefer to work for.

You are in demand, so make the most of it!