Seven top tips to perfect your engineering CV and covering letter

Some engineering employers, notably smaller companies, prefer CVs and covering letter. Here are some hints and tips to help you perfect your CV and covering letter to convince recruiters you’re right for the job. 

1.   Length of your CV: A CV should be no more than two pages of A4, and a covering letter just one page. By researching the skills sought by the employers you’re targeting and then matching your experience to theses you should be able to fit in all the information that is relevant to that particular graduate job. 

2.   Layout: the layout of your CV is important. Choose a layout that is clear and easy to read, avoid small fonts and large sections of text. Use a skills-focused or chronological format for your CV, depending on what sells you best, and remember to tailor your CV to each employer. 

3.  Personal statements: many students start their CV’s with a brief personal statement outlining their abilities and aspirations. If you choose to do this, be specific and keep it relevant to the engineering job in question.

4.  Educational history: your educational history from your university years should include your predicted or actual degree class, information on group projects and your dissertation, any modules relevant to the job, and relevant academic awards. Include you’re a level (or equivalent) subjects and grades. Give GCSE/standard grad results. 

5.   Engineering work experience: outline engineering work experience in your CV, judging how much detail to give by how closely it relates to the specific job you are applying to. Explain what skills you learned and how they can be transferred to the position in question. 

6.  Non-engineering work experience: many engineering employers look very favourably on achievements and experiences outside engineering. This can be a real boost if you haven’t been able to secure engineering work experience – and can give you an extra edge if you have. Examples worth mentioning include fundraising, voluntary work, organising independent overseas travel, sporting achievements or taking a leading role in a university society. Don’t go into detail: summarise your achievements and any transferable skills developed. 

7.   What’s the point of a covering letter? Most engineering graduates have a fairly wide range of career options open to them. Outside the engineering sector, graduate engineers are sought after for their numerical skills and problem-solving mentality; inside, there’s a wide range of industries and job types that engineers of most disciplines can choose from. Your covering letter, therefore, is a chance to convince the engineering employer in question that you want to work in their industry, for their specific organisation, and in the job role advertised. 

Articles you may be interested in: 
Engineering graduate jobs, placements and expert careers advice

Have you uploaded your CV to your TARGETjobs profile? Upload here.
By Roxanne Chand

One of the 2014 winners of the Undergraduate of the Year Awards tells why YOU should enter for 2015!

Last year I won the Engineering Undergraduate of the Year Award sponsored by EON!

If you are reading this, you are probably thinking of applying yourself and I definitely encourage you to do so! I applied pretty much on a whim, I received and email and thought I might as well have a shot!

The initial stage of the application is some situational online tests, there a quite  a few of these, so persevere and don’t leave them until the last minute as you might run out of time!

If you are lucky enough to get through, the next round is an assessment day at the EON training facility. This is an interesting day, you will meet some of the other candidates and EON employees. The other candidates were great company, really interesting to talk to and makes the day less daunting! The assessment is a good experience, it includes a number of different tasks, some of which 
I found harder than others.

If you attend the assessment day, you then have a good chance of going to the awards ceremony, as the final top ten candidates are all invited. It’s a very impressive venue, Canary Wharf’s East Wintergarden, with an impressive host, Sir Trevor MacDonald! You are very well looked after at the ceremony, great food and conversation and it is a great opportunity to meet a huge range of students.

So go for it, apply, and who knows, maybe you will be the next Engineering Undergraduate of the Year for 2015!

Alan Middup, MEng Mechanial Engineering, University of Sheffield

Engineering Undergraduate of the Year Award, winner

Female engineering student? Feel in the minority? Not at a TARGETjobs Event! Lisa tells us her story

Being a female engineering student can often make you feel like a rarity. People react astonished and question how difficult it really is, in terms of studying but also to cope in a male dominated environment, as probably most of us have already experienced.

Getting to the event

When I applied to Future Female Engineers I was hoping to better understand how to get hired by companies. One challenge of the application process was to pass the telephone interview which was a valuable practice for the future. I was quite proud when I was informed that my place was secured, as it was my first serious telephone interview. 

Upon arrival at the Heritage Motor Centre, the networking process with other female students immediately started while enjoying lunch.  I realised how closely related all the engineering courses are and it was nice to talk to female students only, which was rather abnormal on such a large scale but made me feel more comfortable when speaking up and making new contacts. Additionally, the keynote speaker Roma Agrawal gave us an inspirational talk about the importance of confidence to achieve goals and desires in relevant projects.

Highlights from the day

After getting into groups, recruiters from the nine different companies told us about the qualities they are looking for in applicants, the application processes itself and their projects. Another highlight was the team challenge in which each team had to build a boat within ten minutes of team working, communicating as well as demonstrating technical understanding.

In the next session we talked about the day-to-day roles of the employees. It was highly interesting to talk to them individually as I heard the story of a graduate employee who travelled around for quite a while before finding a job and learned new languages. Similarly interesting was the session in which three senior leaders explained to us how they achieved their position.

We also had time to visit the museum, to take pictures and see cars which were actually produced within the UK as well as being famous for having played in James Bond movies such as the Aston Martin DB5.

What I took away

Overall, I can say that the event has more than exceeded my expectations and definitely raised my desire to obtain a master’s degree in mechanical engineering as a female student. It has further given me a sense of direction, where I want to go and see myself in the future. There are plenty of opportunities for women to achieve success in an engineering environment and it is important that we make use of them. As I am progressing in my course and learn through experience, connecting with other students and people, my level of confidence and motivation has considerably increased. Studying an engineering course is far more than studying the course itself. I have been proactive in several projects, ranging from helping to build a car to the construction of a small house in Costa Rica. Take a look around, if it is at your university or online, and embrace the opportunities that are given to you!

Check out the event here to find out more and apply!

Winner of the Construction Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year Award 2014, talks us through her first few weeks on her placement at Laing O'Rourke : PART 1

During my application for the Undergraduate of the Year Awards I was fortunate enough to secure a placement working with Arup in their Hong Kong offices. I hadn’t assumed I would win the Awards, so wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to work abroad over the summer. Luckily when Laing O’Rouke announced me as their winner of the Construction Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year Award they were very accommodating and both companies allowed me to shorten both placements so I could fit them both in!

I have loved working in Hong Kong. It is a huge change of pace to working in the UK with long working days and a lot of responsibility. I have been designing foundation for and LNG power station in the Philippians; this requires complex dynamic analysis and consideration of minimal differential settlement across the site.  

Aside from work I have made some great friends both in Arup and Laing O’Rourke. Laing O’Rourke has a hiking team and we go out twice a week which is a great way to get to know people and see Hong Kong. I have also managed to fit in lots of sightseeing on my weekends, but I still have plenty more to do.

It has not all been plain sailing. Visas have caused considerable strife and the 8 hour time difference makes it nearly impossible to contact people at home. Jet lag and the weather is a lot to get used to, and the inevitable Asian stomach bugs have caught me out once. But all this pales in the rush of the city.

Before beginning my placement with Laing O’Rourke I was very excited to be on site, but also a little apprehensive as I had been warned about working in over 40^oC heat. The experience ends in mid-September, so watch this space for an update on how it went.

Brittany Harris, Civil Engineering, University of Bristol

Construction Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year Award winner

Think this could be you for 2015? Apply to the awards here: undergraduateoftheyear.com/construction

Weekly Career Round-up

Hello everyone, I hope you're all enjoying your summer break! 

Welcome to this week’s weekly roundup post!

So, as always I am going to start off with the internship and graduate job deadlines.

Secure an internship: don’t miss next week’s work experience deadlines – Find out my here.

Don't miss out on this week's upcoming graduate job deadlines, find out how to apply here. 

Now, onto this week's career advice

Internships

Whether you're trying to turn your internship into a graduate job offer or climb the career ladder in a permanent job, know how to increase your chances of success. Have a read of our article 'Career tactics for women: from internship to job to promotion' to find out more.

You have landed the internship that you had been working towards since your first year. Well done! But what's the best way to ensure that your placement leads to career success? Check out our article 'How to make the most of your investment banking internship' to find out how to further your career.

Want to learn how to avoid those common work experience blunders? Find out more here.

Law

Before attending a law assessment centre this summer, make sure you've read our top tips on how to perform at the group exercise element of the assessment day. We dispel the myth that everybody needs to prove they are a natural born leader; you can shine in other ways. Have a read of out article 'Be your best self in a law assessment centre group exercise'

Finance

If banking is your career of choice, have a read of our recent article 'Deutsche Bank application: don't let the word count limit you' to learn more about the application form for a graduate scheme or internship at Deutsche Bank. 

Retail

Whether you want a retail graduate job with your part-time employer or to join another retailer's graduate scheme, read our advice article on how to make your experience shine.‘Turn your part-time shop work into a graduate retail career’

We asked two graduate retail managers from Tesco, Luke Hammett and Claire Pickthall, to share insider tips from their job hunting experience. Have a read of the interview 'How to get a job in retail management' to gain insight into how to get the career you want in retail.

Engineering

If you want to be hired as a graduate civil or structural engineer, there are three decisions employers expect you to make before you apply. Find out what these three decisions are in our article 'Want a civil engineering job? Three career decisions you have to make'

That's all from me this week, good luck with your applications.

Enjoy your weekend!

Roxanne

TARGETjobs career advice weekly roundup

Welcome to the weekly graduate recruitment roundup. This is where you find the roundup of all the latest graduate career advice we have written this past week. 

Let's start off this week's roundup with the internship and graduate job deadlines.

Check out our roundup of upcoming deadlines for internships and placements, lasting from 12 week's to 12 months. There are placements available in engineering, IT and marketing, but you'll have to be quick as they all have deadlines coming up over the next week.

Don't miss out on these great graduate opportunities available from targetjobs.co.uk. There are vacancies with imminent closing dates within a range of sectors, including graduate schemes in IT and technology, retail and engineering. Popular employers with application deadlines coming up include the John Lewis Partnership and Royal Bank of Scotland Group. So if you think any of these jobs might be for you, don't wait around - be sure to apply this week!

Now on to the career advice section:

Finance

Would you like to start off you finance career working for a bank like Credit Suisse? Well, I am going to tell you how you can. Credit Suisse requests a covering letter to accompany its application form. This additional layer is intended to weed out the motivated candidates from the unmotivated; the well-researched from the uninformed; and those who genuinely want to join the team from those who just want a job. Read here how to write an impressive cover letter for Credit Suisse and what they expect to see.

To increase your chances at the next stage of the process find out how to tackle the Credit Suisse graduate interviews and questions. Have a read of our article which describes what they look for in a potential candidate and how to beat those interview nerves by researching the company. Preparation is essential with every interview. 

The deadline for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group’s Technology and Change Audit Graduate Programme has been extended until 30 June. This gives you a few additional days to decide what you’re going to include in your online application to persuade the bank to invite you for an interview. Have a read of our article 'RBS's Technology and Change Audit Graduate Programme: how to show you've a good grasp of technology risk'.

Law

Don’t miss that 31 July training contract application deadline! If you’re applying for a training contract that begins in 2016, you need to get your application completed. We’ve provided help on answering those tricky commercial awareness questions, presenting your experience and what you need to research about the firms. See the links below to get tailored help for RPC, Shearman & Sterling and Mayer Brown, or check out TARGETjobsLaw.co.uk for more information on how to get from application to interview and beyond. 

Calling future solicitors! As some of you will be all too aware, 31 July is the training contracts deadline for the vast majority of commercial law firms. We've had a look at the following firms’ application forms and offer our tailored advice on how you can best answer their questions: 

• Osborne Clarke
• Simmons & Simmons
• Jones Day
• Baker & McKenzie 

Retail

Interested in a managerial position at McDonald's? Have a read of our article 'Interview tips for McDonald's trainee manager job'.

Get the inside buzz

Get the inside buzz on what it’s really is like to work for top employers from those in the know. Recent graduate employees give their view on culture, training, salary and benefits and their overall satisfaction

• What employers say: their company information, jobs, internships and more
• What we say: our own top tips on how to get hired written by our expert careers editors
• What employees say: get the feel for working life from those in the know.

That's all from me this week, I wish you all the best of luck in your applications!

Have a great weekend.

Thinking of applying to one of our events? Read what a past attendee has to say about her experience….

About me!

Name: Catriona Byers           

University: Heriot Watt University

Course: Chemical Engineering

Event attended: Engineer your future

Why did you apply?

I found out about the event through an email sent by TARGETjobs.  The main reason I was interested in the event was that it was purely for female engineers. Coming from a male dominated course it was nice to see something purely aimed at females. The chance to meet other female engineers, whether still at university or in employment, was one, which I wanted to be involved with. I felt that the opportunity to meet successful females, from a male dominated industry, would be significant in gaining confidence with regards to both applications and teamwork situations within a university and employment environment. The opportunity to get interview and application tips from all the various companies was also an appealing factor.

What did you do next?

I originally researched all the companies that would be attending the event so that I could see what I could gain from the event as a whole. With the broad range of companies, from different sectors, I made sure that my CV was not too specific towards one industry.  I also made sure that my CV was up to date so that if I was fortunate enough to have a phone interview, it would reflect my discussions. With regards to the application form, I treated it as I would for a normal job application, taking my time considering and answering each question as fully as I could.  Overall, it took me a couple of days to make sure I was confident with my application.

Do you have any telephone interview tips?

Being my first ever phone interview, I was nervous, as I wasn’t sure what to do. In preparation I looked over my CV and had researched the companies a little bit more.  Having this in front of me, allowed me to relax, incase I lost my train of thought. The interviewer asked many questions in order to get a basic background on me as a person. I was asked about why I chose my course, my interests and what I had been involved with in university. I was also asked about why I was interested in attending the event and what I could gain from it. I felt it went well. I would say, for the telephone interview to be confident when speaking and to take a few seconds, after each question, to think about what you are going to say first. The experience of having a telephone interview is invaluable and has helped since.

What did you learn?
Through the panel discussion and workshops, we were given many tips in self-confidence and how to handle ourselves in industry. Overall, I gained confidence for future interviews, applications and events!

Our next event is on Monday 4th November 2013 so APPLY NOW!!