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SECTOR SNAPSHOTS
In today’s ever-evolving landscape, engineering offers an exciting and rewarding career path for graduates. Despite the changing global economy, the demand for skilled engineering professionals remains strong. As industries across the board rely on innovative solutions, your expertise in this field becomes invaluable.
In this guide, we’ll navigate the dynamic world of engineering, where creativity and problemsolving unlock a world of opportunities.
Employers Challenges Perks
The engineering industry boasts a diverse range of employers across various sectors. Multinational engineering firms, energy companies, and construction giants provide opportunities to work on large-scale projects and cutting-edge innovations. Tech startups are also a hotbed for engineers, offering roles in software development, robotics, and AI.
Government agencies play a vital role in hiring engineers to design and maintain public infrastructure, while research institutions and universities provide avenues for those interested in advancing scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs. Whether it’s renewable energy, smart cities, or space exploration, there’s no shortage of exciting possibilities in the engineering world.
Just like any career, the engineering field has its fair share of hurdles. Staying updated with the latest technologies and tools is essential in this everchanging environment. You’ll need to embrace advancements in AI, automation, and recent developments in your field to stay ahead of the curve.
Additionally, working within regulatory frameworks and adhering to safety standards can feel like navigating a maze. Complex engineering projects require precise attention to detail, as any misstep can have significant consequences. However, with the right mindset and a passion for innovation, these challenges become opportunities to grow and thrive.
The perks of an engineering career are incredibly enticing. The high demand for skilled engineers means you have a huge degree of career mobility. You can work across multiple industries in the course of your career and potentially even be placed overseas. Additionally, the engineering field offers immense room for growth, allowing you to advance your career and specialise in areas that excite you.
From renewable energy to aerospace, engineering is a career that makes a tangible impact on the world. You’ll have the chance to work on projects that drive innovation and shape the future, all while continuously developing your skills and expertise.
or looking to gain an edge, these essential tips will set you on the right path.
Engineering: A Beginner’s Guide
Looking to land an engineering job? Start here to find out everything you need to know about beginning your career as a graduate engineer.
Engineering is the process of applying science and maths to the design, creation, and maintenance of all sorts of machines, structures, and processes across a wide range of industries. This could range from aerospace, IT, and chemicals to power generation, telecommunications and utilities.
The projects engineering employers undertake can range in scale from the development of electronic devices or chemical compounds to the construction of production plants, oil refineries and solar farms. Here’s how you can start out in this line of work!
HOW DO I GET A JOB WITH AN ENGINEERING COMPANY?
Engineering vacancies for graduates usually come in two forms: an entry-level job or a graduate programme. Smaller employers are more likely to advertise individual entry-level jobs as needed, while larger engineering employers are likely to advertise graduate programmes, often hiring across a number of engineering disciplines in one go.
You can also undertake an engineering placement (also known as “industrial attachment”) as part of your engineering degree programme. These placements allow you to apply your theoretical knowledge to real-world projects, develop technical skills, and gain insights into the local engineering industry.
Larger engineering companies also frequently offer internships for engineering graduates. Keep an eye out for those! It is possible that completing an engineering placement or internship with an employer may even fast-track you through the recruitment process for their graduate programme.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS OR SKILLS DO I NEED TO WORK IN ENGINEERING?
Most engineering jobs need a relevant engineering degree. After all, you will need to have the right technical skills and knowledge to get the job done!
Most local engineering employers typically require only relevant bachelor’s degrees to start out. However, some may require you to have a master’s in engineering for more specialised roles. You may also want to consider becoming certified as a chartered engineer later on, if can help with advancing your career.
Not all technical jobs in engineering companies are filled by engineers, though. Some employers offer technical vacancies for maths, physics, and materials science graduates. Other roles such as technical sales may also be open to candidates from all degrees – though you will still need to have a working understanding of relevant engineering concepts.
WHAT KINDS OF ENGINEERING JOBS CAN I DO?
The exact nature of each engineering job will vary according to the industry. But generally, most tend to focus on one or two parts of the overall engineering process: research and development, industrial design, production, building and implementation, or ongoing maintenance.
Your job title could be the same as your degree discipline, such as “mechanical engineer” or “environmental engineer”. Alternatively, it could be based around a particular stage of the engineering process. Examples include “design engineer” or “quality assurance engineer”.
It’s worth noting that the Malaysian engineering industry still occupies the lower end of the global engineering supply chain. This means that there may not be as many jobs in more theoretical areas such as R&D or industrial design. The government is attempting to remedy this by incentivising the creation of such jobs as part of broader industry push, but only time will tell how fast the local industry will shift.
HOW HARD IS IT TO GET AN ENGINEERING JOB?
This is a question with no easy answer. On one hand, there has been an industry-wide STEM skills shortage for some time, due to factors such as an aging engineering workforce and the attractiveness of the other careers open to engineering graduates (such as banking and financial services locally). So you could make the case that it is a jobseekers’ market right now.
On the other hand, the relatively concentrated pool of large engineering employers in Malaysia means that they have no shortage of graduate applications each year. The competition becomes even stiffer in strategic local industries, such as the oil and gas or automotive industries. You will need to bring your A-game if you hope to stand out.
There are certainly no shortage of engineering roles with smaller local employers. However, make sure you screen such opportunities carefully before accepting. Ensure that the employer can show you clear pathways for career progression, professional development, and of course earning potential. The wide range of engineering jobs available locally mean that standards can vary wildly.
WHAT ARE THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS?
Graduate engineers often work alongside experienced engineers in multidisciplinary teams. You’ll have the opportunity to be involved from the outset on practically challenging problems that need to be solved, while learning from others in the process. The personal satisfaction of finding solutions that have visible, tangible outcomes can be a very rewarding feeling.
Larger employers may give you the opportunity to travel for work – whether around the country or for overseas placements. This can sometimes be glamorous, but sometimes not. You may show up on-site to find a whole host of problems that need solving or processes that have lapsed. It will be on you to roll your sleeves up and get things going again.
Some industry sectors have lots of regulations to adhere to, which means huge amounts of paperwork and documentation to be filed. Given the volatile economy, it can also be frustrating to start work on a project as an engineer, only to have the funding pulled or the budget readjusted for cost-savings reasons.
WHAT OTHER JOBS CAN ENGINEERING GRADUATES DO?
Engineering graduates are also highly sought after for a range of careers including finance, IT, and specialised consulting.
However, you don’t have to leave the engineering industry even if technical careers aren’t your thing. Graduate engineers often end up recruited into a range of other roles within engineering companies: such as procurement, technical sales, operations management, supply chain management and logistics. After all, no one is better qualified to understand the commercial challenges faced by an engineering company… than an engineer!
5 Top Skills You Need for a Career in Engineering
A successful career in engineering goes beyond technical expertise. Developing these essential soft skills is key to excelling in this profession.
When it comes to preparing for engineering careers, graduates often tend to focus too much on technical knowledge. However, engineering is far more than just working with numbers and machines or solving technical issues. Here are five key skills that engineering employers particularly look out for in graduate engineers.
01
Teamwork and Collaboration
Teamwork and the ability to collaborate and work with others is the lifeblood of the engineering profession. Engineers rarely work alone. From the moment you join the employer, you will be assigned to a team – often made up of others from multiple disciplines and levels of experience.
Your daily work usually involves troubleshooting problems, tackling a specific engineering task, or developing new solutions all as part of your assigned team. Knowing how to tap on each others’ strengths, build relationships among your team, divide up tasks, and coordinate with each other will be key to
To develop these abilities, actively engage in group projects during your studies or join student societies where you have to work in teams. Focus on improving your interpersonal skills, including resolving conflicts, providing constructive feedback, and supporting team members in achieving shared objectives.
02 Problem-Solving Skills
A major part of an engineer’s job is solving problems and developing new solutions. There will always be a demand to keep making things work better, faster or stronger, and it will be up to you to deliver.
Problem-solving is more than just troubleshooting issues as they arise. After all, the best-engineered solutions and processes are the ones which don’t throw up frequent problems at all! As an engineer, must be able to anticipate potential problems before they occur and adjust for them beforehand. This requires developing a thorough understanding of your area of focus as well as how all the various component parts and processes fit together.
By developing your problemsolving skills, you give rise to another desired skill: innovation. Engineering employers are constantly looking for candidates who can push for the application of innovative new ideas, technology, or practices in their area of focus.
To develop problemsolving skills, work on your resourcefulness – that is, knowing where to look or whom to talk to in order to find potential solutions to unfamiliar problems. Practicing a systemic approach helps too. Learn to break large problems down into smaller, manageable components; analyse each part thoroughly, and then identify possible solutions and their implementation.
03 Communication Skills
Effective communication is key to success in engineering. Engineers spend far more time talking to people than you may expect. Whether that’s conveying updates to other teams within the organisation, training incoming staff on processes, or liaising with clients; every engineering solution is only as good as the people or users who are interacting with it.
Practice conveying complex information to others in simple, easy-to-understand terms, whether spoken or in writing. Not everybody you speak to in the workplace will understand technical jargon, so you will need to be good at conveying your thoughts clearly and simply.
You aren’t expected to wow others with your command of the language or your writing and presentation skills. What matter most is knowing how to get your point across to your listeners, even if that means trying multiple times until they get it. This is a habit you can cultivate while you’re still in your studies, so keep working on it even if you may feel like talking to others isn’t your greatest strength! Practice makes perfect, after all.
04
Attention to Detail
As an engineer, precision is a non-negotiable attribute. Attention to detail can make a huge difference between a successfully-implemented solution or a very costly mistake for your employer.
To nurture this skill, begin by practicing accuracy in all aspects of your coursework, projects, and assignments. Get in the habit of paying special attention to details, or doublechecking your calculations, measurements, and data.
This isn’t just on you, though. Get others to help double check or peer review your work whenever possible. A second set of eyes might just spot something you missed. Speak to more experienced engineers on the job and enlist them in helping you identify specific areas to pay special attention to as well.
Failing to pay attention to the finer details in the engineering industry can have commercial and social consequences. You could cost your company to lose a lot of money or even put somebody’s life at risk. Make sure you don’t approach the work half-heartedly.
05
Adaptability and Resilience
Successful engineers are able to adapt quickly to unfamiliar situations. They must also be able to continually persevere and pick themselves up again after a setback. It is, after all, unlikely that you will get the right solution or implementation the first time. Being adaptable and resilient enough to keep coming up with new ideas or finding new approaches is key to getting things done.
You may have to work in high-pressure environments too. Some engineers have to be oncall 24 hours a day. Others work in facilities where everything moves at breakneck speed. Or you may be away from home and removed from civilisation for long periods of time. Being resilient enough to keep a cool head and a disciplined approach in such situations is essential.
While still in your studies, be on the lookout for chances to push yourself out of our comfort zone or expose yourself to unfam`iliar environments or ideas. Learning to get better at processing and grasping the unfamiliar, or challenging yourself to adapt to settings you aren’t typically accustomed to –these are how you develop your resilience over time.
Choosing the Right Engineering Employer
If you aren’t sure how to start evaluating engineering employers and what they offer, here are some helpful points to consider.
The engineering industry can be incredibly vast –not just in Malaysia, but internationally as well. As an engineering graduate, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available to you out in the market. Even if you already have some idea of what area of engineering you want to work in, choosing the right employer can be a daunting task! Before you dive into the job search, taking some time to reflect on your career goals can help you with choosing the right engineering employer. To help you get started, here are six points to consider when evaluating which employer is right for you.
1
WHAT SIZE IS THE EMPLOYER?
Engineering employers can range in size from small specialised operations with just a handful of employees to massive government-linked corporations or multinational organisations with thousands of employees. When it comes to size, there are pros and cons to working with employers at either end of the spectrum.
In general, at larger organisations, you can meet more people, receive better pay and benefits, and may have an easier time switching jobs in the future without switching companies. On the other hand, larger companies tend to be more bureaucratic and resistant to change. You will also likely feel more disconnected from your work, as just one engineer working on one part of a whole host of interconnected engineering areas and processes.
Smaller organisations tend to be more flexible both in terms of how they operate in the market, and the conditions they can offer employees. At a smaller employer, it’s often easier to communicate with management and decision-makers, which can mean that your work and accomplishments are more visible to the people most likely to reward you for them. You will also have more chances to get involved in larger parts of their projects and processes, which is great for gaining experience.
2 WHAT’S THE CULTURE OF THE EMPLOYER LIKE?
Engineering firms and even individual teams within engineering employers can vary widely in their value systems. Some may value individualism, visible effort, or billable hours; while others may value employee and client satisfaction, work-life balance, or community engagement. Where possible, try to find an employer whose values are consistent with your own.
Online resources like Glassdoor reviews or company websites and social media pages can be a great way to start your research. However, your best bet is still talking to current or former employees at the company. You can find such contacts through attending career fairs, networking sessions, or reaching out to them on LinkedIn.
To evaluate the culture of an engineering employer, it’s helpful to ask questions such as:
• How competitive is the employer?
• What sort of peop le work at the organisation? Is it a diverse and inclusive environment?
• What is expected of graduate employees?
• How are decisions made? Do managers trust employees to make them independently?
• How happy are the employees you’ve met?
3 WILL WORKING WITH THIS EMPLOYER HELP MY CAREER?
Very few people stay in a job for life these days. So it pays to consider where you want to be in your engineering career not just for the next few years, but in a decade from now. You’ll then be in a much better position to evaluate whether or not a particular employer will set you up to pursue your future career goals.
Examine the company’s track record in supporting employee growth and development. Does the company offer mentorship programs, training opportunities, or the chance to work on challenging projects? This allows you to get a clear sense of whether or not you’ll emerge from your graduate role with the skills and experience you’ll need to apply competitively for whatever comes next.
4 WILL I HAVE A GOOD WORK-LIFE BALANCE?
Consider your preferences regarding work-life balance. Some graduates may derive satisfaction from completing complex projects, even if it means working late at times. Others may prefer more regular hours with ample time for personal commitments. In either case, it’s important to check that your idea of a healthy work-life balance is achievable at the employer you’re considering.
Consider the nature of the role and what it requires of you as well. For instance, if you’re working on-site at a plant complex, then remote working won’t ever be an option for obvious reasons. Likewise, if you’re stationed on an offshore oil rig or oil camp, then how might that affect your ideas of work-life balance, your personal life, or your mental and emotional health?
5 DOES THE EMPLOYER HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE?
For engineering graduates looking to working abroad, it could be worth prioritising employers that have a global presence. International firms often leverage their global presence to bid for projects with stakeholders from multiple countries, and you may get to work on those. You may also have opportunities for internal transfers or secondments to overseas offices as part of your career progression.
Be sure to examine your own readiness for international exposure beforehand though. How much will the employer expect of you if overseas work is involved? Will it be just the odd business trip here and there, or will you actually be expected to relocate to a foreign country for an extended period of time?
6 HOW WILL I BE EVALUATED AND COMPENSATED?
We would be remiss if we did not mention this very important question! Pay and benefits can vary greatly among engineering employers, so make sure you do the math and calculate how much you are willing to accept when searching for job opportunities.
While salary is important, also consider other benefits such as healthcare, insurance coverage, and stock options. The former two are especially important if you’re working on-site or in an environment with hazardous equipment or materials. You should also check if training and upskilling costs will be covered, in order to ensure your engineering knowledge stays relevant.
Lastly, make sure to ask employers how you will be evaluated as an engineer. What are the performance goals at play? How regular will the reviews be? Knowing what the metrics for success and profit are will be crucial to ensuring you stay well-compensated in the future.
Alternative Career Paths for Engineering Graduates
Engineering graduates have a world of possibilities beyond traditional engineering roles. Here are some examples.
For many engineering graduates, the conventional path of pursuing a career in a technical or engineering role may seem like the default choice. However, that doesn’t have to be the case! The analytical skills and problem-solving mindset cultivated during your engineering studies are highly transferable, making you valuable candidates in a wide range of other career paths.
Whether you’re a fresh graduate considering your options, or a young engineer considering a career change, it’s widely-accepted for engineers to branch out into different lines of work. Here are some of the more popular options.
1
DATA SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS
In an increasingly data-driven world, engineers with strong analytical skills and a knack for working with numerical models fit well in this line of work. Data science and analytics roles involve analysing data sets, generating data models, and interpreting them to drive business decisions.
However, you won’t just be a number cruncher, either. Part of your role will be to take data and use it to tell stories. The key is to translate your analysis from something that only a technically-minded professional like an engineer might understand into a message fit for a wider audience. This can be very fulfilling if you enjoy seeing quantitative analysis transformed into actionable solutions – something that’s core to the engineering skillset!
2
TECHNICAL SALES AND MARKETING
Engineering graduates often possess excellent technical knowledge or an ability to grasp key technical concepts. These attributes are invaluable for technical sales and marketing roles. Working in technical sales, your job is to promote a company’s technical products or services to a client base. This could be anything from industrial machinery, software, automation solutions, or waste management and recovery services.
In a technical sales role, you will liaise with both business decision-makers and key technical staff on the client side to sell your company’s offerings. You’ll get to leverage your technical knowledge by discussing implementation details with other engineers and learning about how their systems and processes work. Being on the client frontlines also means you’ll constantly be exposed to the latest market developments in your chosen industry as well!
3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The ability to plan, execute, and monitor complex projects is a valuable skill set. As a project manager, you can work in various industries, ranging from construction, manufacturing, IT, business services or healthcare. You’ll oversee projects from inception to completion – making sure things are being done on time, that funding and resources for the project are secured and incoming, and that issues delaying the project are resolved as soon as possible.
As an engineering graduate, you’ll be trained in breaking down a complex structure or process into its component pieces and troubleshooting each one individually. This is a valuable trait to have in a project management role. Your duties will also involve figuring out how to do something and then creating a repeatable process so others in the organisation can do it too. That certainly sounds a lot like engineering too, doesn’t it?
4 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Supply chain management is all about ensuring the constant movement of a company’s goods and resources. This could be raw materials needed for production, or finished products headed to market.
You will be making use of your engineering training in systems and process management to accomplish this, building a system in perpetual motion that’s moving commodities from place to place, or even continent to continent. You may also be tasked with building and implementing data models to forecast resource demand.
This can be a very fulfilling line of work if you’re the kind of person who enjoys maximising efficiency in processes or creating systems where output and speed are timed just right. You may also have ample opportunities for international and global exposure in this line of work, since supply chains around the globe are all interconnected.
5 MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
Yet another line of work focused on identifying and resolving problems, management consulting is about advising client organisations on how to improve their business processes, resolve strategic concerns, and maximise their profitability.
This is a very broad line of work, with a wide range of employers. You could be working for a big external consulting firm focusing on general business issues ranging from a new market launch, improving profit margins, to overseeing mergers and acquisitions. Or you might work with a smaller specialised firm focusing on niche areas such as implementing sustainable business practices or supply chains.
As an engineering graduate, you will use skills like data analysis, statistical modelling, and solution-oriented thinking to help clients generate creative solutions to problems. This is a line of work that famously pays very well once you climb the ranks. You will also be exposed to companies and professionals in numerous industries, which will help you build a very robust professional network.
6
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND TRADING
Financial analysts and traders work for investment banks, hedge funds, insurance firms, and other financial institutions that deal with securities or commodities markets. They buy or sell investment instruments and financial products in order to generate a profitable return for their company/ client.
You need to be able to think systematically in this line of work. A big part of trading is understanding how sectors across the global economy can influence each another and affect the prices of different investment assets. Your analytical training in engineering will be a huge asset here, as well as your ability to dissect systems and anticipate outcomes. If you have programming skills, you will be in especially high demand. Modern trading involves the heavy use of algorithms, which must be constantly updated and tweaked in order to stay ahead of the market. Being able to compile and generate statistical models to feed the algorithms is a key skill too.
This is a line of work with notoriously long hours and a brutally fast pace. However, the financial rewards and commissions from each profitable trade can be very generous to match.
Breaking Into a New Career
Making your way into the engineering industry requires careful preparation and a strategic approach. This section covers everything from crafting the perfect CV to mastering technical interviews, giving you the tools to stand out in a competitive job market. Learn how to confidently present your skills and expertise to secure that dream job.
Writing Technical CVs for Engineering Jobs
Crafting an effective technical CV for job applications is a critical step in launching your engineering career.
As a fresh graduate, one of the most crucial steps to launching your engineering career is putting together a strong technical CV to show employers you have the skills they need. Though larger engineering employers require candidates to fill in online application forms, many still ask you to attach CVs to those. This is even more so for smaller engineering employers.
The key to creating a strong technical CV that will impress engineering recruiters is to keep it wellstructured and focused on relevant details. Here are some tips to help you out with yours.
CUSTOMISE YOUR CV FOR EACH APPLICATION
Avoid using a one-size-fits-all approach. Customise your CV for each job application by focusing on the skills, experiences, and qualifications that align with the specific job requirements.
If the employer has an online application system, try to integrate keywords from the job posting in your CV when describing past experiences. This increases the chances of your CV being shortlisted as the system scans your application for relevant keywords to the job.
HAVE A CLEAR STRUCTURE AND FOCUS
You should include the following sections in your technical CV:
• Personal information
• Relevant technical skills and abilities
• Educational background and any degree modules relevant to the position.
• Relevant past projects, work experience, and general skills.
• Any relevant extracurricular activities, interests, and/or certifications. Your CV should be no more than two pages long. List your points in reverse chronological order – starting with most recent experiences first, and then work your way backwards from there.
You are free to choose the order of your sections and how you want to title them. However, try to place the sections that best demonstrate you have the ability to perform the job you are applying for upfront, and allocate the most space for those. For instance, if a job requires good teamwork skills, don’t hide the team-based work placement you completed on the second page!
FOCUS ON RELEVANT TECHNICAL SKILLS
You don’t need to list out all of your technical skills. Just focus on the ones that the employer and the role requires and don’t include anything that isn’t relevant.
Try to organise your technical skills in categories to make it easier for recruiters to see the range and types of skills you have at a glance. Here’s an example:
Technical Skills
1. Programming & Database:
• Javascript, Python, MySQL
2. 3D Modelling:
• AutoCAD, SketchUp
3. Miscellaneous:
• Linux OS, Raspberry Pi, Microsoft Office
SHOWCASE SKILLS THROUGH PAST EXPERIENCES
Use the past experiences sections to describe how you put your technical skills into practice, and to give recruiters an understanding of how you’ve applied your knowledge. Describe the projects you worked on, your role, and the skills you developed during these experiences. For example:
Work Experience & Projects
Junior Engineer (Placement), ABC Solar Technologies, June 2022 – June 2023
• Completed 12-month industrial placement programme as part of my degree course.
• Worked with a team of three engineers to design and prototype an energy-efficient solar-powered water purification system for rural Orang Asli communities.
• Personally designed weather- and water-proofing solutions for project.
• Final project deployment resulted in 50% reduction of energy consumption compared to traditional systems, providing clean drinking water to 15 families in the pilot community.
• Demonstrated strong teamwork skills working with colleagues doing local land surveying for project deployment.
For each piece of experience you list, include a brief description of your responsibilities and achievements. As much as you can, keep the focus specifically on your own actions, as opposed to talking in general terms about what your team or peers did.
Numbers and quantifiable metrics can make your past experiences more impactful. Whenever possible, quantify your achievements. Use action verbs to describe your experiences and accomplishments. (e.g. “Designed” instead of “Responsible for designing.”) This keeps things easy to read and conveys more hands-on involvement with your work.
You can give examples from projects that you worked on in university, at work, or even on a personal basis. What matters is that they give practical examples of your technical skills at work, as well as showcase an ongoing interest or passion for working in your chosen engineering area.
SAVE SPACE FOR YOUR SOFT SKILLS
Technical skills aren’t the only thing that engineering recruiters look out for! Remember that employers place similar value on soft skills too. To recap, some of the common soft skills that engineering recruiters want to see are:
• Good communication skills
• Teamwork skills
• Attention to detail
• Adaptability and resilience
• Problem-solving skills
• Innovation
When describing past experiences, don’t forget to describe moments where your soft skills were applied. For instance, give examples where you had to cobble together a makeshift solution to a problem, work together with a team in order to achieve a goal, or deal with a setback to a project.
LIST PERSONAL INTERESTS STRATEGICALLY
Graduates often treat the personal interests section on their CVs as an afterthought or a space-filler. However, this is another valuable chance for you to further showcase your technical and soft skills to potential employers.
What you do in your free time can tell recruiters a lot about you. So don’t be afraid to include any clubs, groups, or events that show how you’ve developed your skills or demonstrate that you have a genuine interest in engineering.
CVs that list activities like engineering competitions, community projects, or personal engineering projects tend to get the attention of recruiters. If you’ve held positions of responsibility in student clubs or societies or extracurricular organisations like Toastmasters, those are good evidence of your soft skills at work as well. If you’ve taken online courses, feel free to highlight the more interesting topics you’ve covered too.
ACCURACY IS KEY
Remember how attention to detail is a key skill for engineers? Be sure to thoroughly double check your CV before sending it to potential employers. Pay special attention to these:
• Your grammar and spelling.
• Your writing and choice of words are easily understandable.
• You’ve provided all the details that the employers are looking for.
• You didn’t double-paste text into your CV.
• You didn’t leave the name of another employer you’re applying to. (Oops!)
If possible, try to have your CV peerreviewed, as with your cover letter. Get a friend, mentor, or trusted figure to cast a second set of eyes on it. They might spot some errors you may have missed.
Need more CV writing advice?
How to Write Effective Cover Letters for Engineering Jobs
Securing your dream job in engineering requires knowing how to pitch yourself. Your cover letter is a critical tool in making a lasting impression on potential employers.
As an engineering job candidate, you should always write a cover letter to accompany your CV if you are applying directly to an employer via email. You may also be asked to include a cover letter or application statement explaining why you are applying for the job if you are applying via an online application form.
Although you can find template cover letters online, merely copying these is unlikely to get you an interview. A successful cover letter should be tailored to the vacancy and the employer you are applying to. Your goal is to prove to the employer that you have put serious thought into the role and why you would be a good fit for it.
Here are some tips on how you can put your cover letter together. Think about how you can use these for whichever engineering role you’re applying for.
1 THE INTRO: ADDRESS IT TO THE RIGHT PERSON
If you are submitting your application via email, begin your cover letter/email with a personalised greeting. Address your letter to a specific individual, preferably the hiring manager or HR manager behind the email address. Doing so shows that you’ve invested time in researching the company and role, which makes a good first impression.
This requires a bit of prep work beforehand. Talk to engineering recruiters at career fairs or connect with them on LinkedIn to get a name and title. Start your cover letter using “Dear [Insert name here]” instead of “Dear Sir/Madam” or whenever possible.
If you are applying through an online application form, then you can skip this step and jump straight to your opening.
2 THE OPENING: EXPLAIN WHY YOU’RE HERE
Your opening paragraph should be compelling and concise. Within `just a few lines, mention the position you’re applying for, how you learned about it, and why you’re interested.
Example:
“I am writing to apply for the Junior Process Engineer opportunity at your company, as advertised on your LinkedIn page. I am drawn to this role because I believe I have the right academic background, skills, and experience for the job. I am also keen to start my career working with process automation technologies, which I understand I will have the chance to do in this role.”
3
THE BODY: HIGHLIGHT YOUR QUALIFICATIONS
The body of your cover letter should focus on how your qualifications and past experiences make you a good fit for this role. Pay particular attention to these key points:
• Education: Detail your degree and university. Highlight any honours, awards, scholarships, or specific coursework that’s relevant to the job.
• Skills: List both technical and soft skills that make you a strong candidate. Mention any software or tools you’re proficient in.
• Experiences: Highlight relevant pass internships, work placements, or academic projects that showcase your engineering capabilities. Use quantifiable metrics to demonstrate results wherever possible.
Example:
“I believe I have the right academic background, skills and work experience to be a successful site manager at your company. I am completing my BSc in Civil Engineering at X University with first class honours. In my past internship with ABC Construction, I worked as a trainee site manager on construction of a new office building. I helped review on-site work progress, assisted with structural integrity tests, and ensured that health and safety standards were adhered to on-site while resolving breaches with subcontractors.
This developed my communication and
4 THE BODY: TAILOR YOUR COVER LETTER
Customisation is key. For each application, adapt your cover letter to the specific job. Mention unique projects, developments, or achievements by the company that align with your interests and skills. Explain why you believe you’re an ideal match.
This means you must demonstrate concrete reasons for applying, not just “I need a job and you seem like a prestigious employer.” Before drafting your cover letter, find out:
• The type of employer and the broad work it does. Are they in-house, contractor, consultant, or regulatory body?
• Notable, recent, or landmark projects (Especially in the division/team you are applying to)
• The employer’s business strategy and recent mentions in the news
• The employer’s values
• The training and development available for graduates or entry-level engineers.
Connect your professional interests (e.g. An interest in sustainable engineering), your values, and your career ambitions to what you have discovered. Use details from your research to make your desire to work with the employer sound even more genuine. Ideally, you should give more than one reason for wanting to work for the company, assuming you have enough space for that.
5 THE CONCLUSION: SIGN OFF PROFESSIONALLY
In the concluding paragraph, reiterate your enthusiasm for the position and the company. Politely express your desire for an interview and thank the reader for considering your application.
Example:
“I would love to discuss in more detail during an interview about how my skills and background aligns with your needs for this role. Please find my CV attached for your review. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.”
BEFORE HITTING “SEND”: CHECK FORMAT AND PROOFREAD
Check that your cover letter isn’t too long – a good rule of thumb is to print it out and ensure it can fit within one A4 sheet of paper.
Use a standard font and format to maintain professionalism, and make sure the format stays intact if you’re copying and pasting your cover letter from a Word document. Always proofread for grammar and spelling errors before sending it out, and get a friend, mentor, or career counsellor to cast a second set of eyes over it if you can.
Preparing For Engineering Technical Interviews
Technical interviews are how engineering employers
your
technical ability as a candidate. Here are some tips on what to expect so you can put your best foot forward!
Most engineering employers will require job applicants to undertake a technical interview as part of the screening process. These are a bit different from regular interviews in that employers will be looking to draw out your engineering experience and knowledge to see how well you would match the role or tackle unfamiliar scenarios on the job.
Employers may conduct technical interviews in different ways. Some might run them separate from their general interviews, while others may just run a general interview and include technical questions in those. Regardless of the approach, the end goals are still the same.
There are four broad types of questions you can expect to encounter at a technical interview. Here, we’ll run through all four and give you tips on how you can prepare for them.
Type #1
BEHAVIOURAL QUESTIONS
You can expect these questions at the start of a technical interview, just like with a general one. Here, interviewers are looking to find out more about you and how well you will fit in with the role and company culture.
Come prepared to talk about yourself, your motivations, and what you’re looking for right now. Be ready to give examples from your past experiences that can back up your points and illustrate that you’ve put thought into how well you would fit into the role.
Examples of behavioural questions:
• “What is it about this engineering area that you find most interesting?”
• “What are you looking to achieve within the first 3 years of your career?”
• “Do you prefer to work alone or in a team?”
Type #2
SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS
You will be provided with a few hypothetical situations and asked to resolve or respond to the problem. With these types of questions, the interviewer is looking to determine how you would handle potential challenges in this line of work or deal with things that are unfamiliar to you.
Where possible, draw anecdotes from past work experiences to back up your responses. You can use the STAR strategy: Situation, Task, Action, and Result, to structure your answers. That is, describe the situation you were in, explain the task you were given, discuss the actions you took to complete that task, and then identify the results that came from it.
Some examples of situational questions:
• “What would you do if you were asked to design a new process from scratch?”
• “If a project is due in X number of days, what steps would you take to meet the deadline?”
• “How would you deal with a difficult colleague to accomplish a given task?”
Type #3
EDUCATIONAL QUESTIONS
If the interviewer asks you about your educational background, they are trying to determine whether your coursework has sufficiently prepared you for the job you’re applying for. They may also be trying to see if you’ve done extra work to fill in any knowledge gaps along the way.
To prepare for these types of questions, make sure to brush up on your engineering fundamentals before the interview – especially on topics/modules which are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. If you have taken any additional relevant certifications, coursework, or training outside of university, make sure you highlight those too!
Examples of educational questions:
• “How do you think your degree programme has prepared you for this job?”
• “Can you summarise what you learned from this module as well as its realworld applications?”
• “What do you do to keep your technical knowledge up-to-date?”
Tips to ace technical interviews:
Type #4
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS-BASED QUESTIONS
The interviewer will ask you about your past experiences working in engineering and grill you on relevant skills. They may also use visual aids, such as asking you to review a dataset on the spot, or have you analyse a simple project schematic.
Do your best to keep your answers as simple and easily understood as possible. If you have to describe technical concepts, make sure your audience understands what you are referring to. You should also always walk interviewers through your thought process step-by-step.
Examples of technical questions:
• What kinds of conclusions can you derive from this dataset?
• Please identify all potential problems in this process and suggest improvements.
• What would you do to increase the structural integrity of this fabrication?
• Explain your answer: Most technical questions have a correct answer, but getting it is often not the main point. If you really want to stand out from the other candidates, elaborate on your problem-solving process and the reasoning behind it.
• Brainstorm multiple solutions: Some technical questions have several possible answers, so don’t get too focused on one solution. Give your interviewers a few possible suggestions, and explain how each one might lead to a desired outcome.
• Be honest about what you don’t know: Be honest about questions that you do not know the answer to instead of trying to improvise. However, you sh ould explain what you would do to find the answer to the problem if you faced it at work.
• Prepare to prove your skills: Sometimes you will be asked to prove your skills through brainteasers, deductive/inductive reasoning, or other on-the-spot tests. Remember to explain the process and steps you took to reach your final solution.
5 Key Tips to Handle Engi neer ing Interviews
Solid preparation is key when you’re interviewing for engineering jobs. Here are some tips on convincing employers that you’re the best person for the role!
1DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Before the interview, spend some time making sure you have all your key talking points at your fingertips. Some things to focus on include:
• Revisit your research of the company. Look up recent news articles or press releases about the company to get an idea of their current clients or recent developments.
• Review key engineering concepts relevant to the role and be sure you can explain them to laypeople.
• Prepare a variety of examples where you have shown certain skills and competencies. Make sure they come from different areas of your life, not just from university.
• Review past projects you’ve worked in both in university or industrial placements. Pay special attention to ones most relevant to the role you’re applying for and make sure you can talk about them at length.
• Study the criteria for the role and think about obvious questions targeting those that are bound to come up. Don’t script your answers to the point that they’re obviously rehearsed though!
2MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
Engineering employers will be looking to evaluate your professionalism – whether they can picture you working with others or presenting yourself to clients. You can demonstrate this by making a good first impression on the interview day.
• Dress smartly and neatly in formal wear, be business-like, and do your best to look the part.
• Check the address and travel time beforehand and do your best to arrive at least 15 to 30 minutes before the scheduled interview time.
• Be polite and courteous with anyone you meet at the employer’s offices. Recruiters often ask receptionists about the pre-interview behaviour of candidates.
• Smile and give a nice firm handshake with direct eye contact as soon as you are introduced to your interviewer(s).
• Be prepared to make some small talk with your interviewers. Being able to break the ice is a key part of client-facing skills. You don’t want to freeze up or give one-word responses to their attempts at getting to know you.
3
SHOW GENUINE INTEREST IN THE JOB
During the interview, it’s important to tailor your responses to the specific job and company you are applying for. Customising your responses shows interviewers that are genuinely interested in the position and have given sufficient thought to why you want this job.
Here are a few ways to demonstrate your interest during the interview:
• Relate your past experiences and skills to the specific responsibilities and requirements of the job. Highlight how your skills and experience align with the role as well as the company’s latest developments, goals, or values.
• Be prepared to explain why you’re choosing this particular employer. For instance, why do you want to work for this large manufacturer instead of a smaller one? Why do you want to work in an engineering consultancy instead of going in-house?
• Don’t dismiss a past experience because it had nothing to do with engineering. Instead, pull out the soft skills you gained from it. Working at a cafe, for example, can develop your communication and customer service skills.
• Draw on activities you have been involved in to show you have a sustained interest in engineering. (e.g. engineering student societies, engineering case study challenges, hackathons, talks by engineering NGOs, trade shows, etc.)
• Show that you have a convincing motivation to join this sector. The employer may invest a lot of money and time in your training and upskilling, so they will want to see that you’ll stick with this line of work.
• Show that you know what engineering work truly involves. Recruiters don’t expect in-depth knowledge, but a working knowledge of the basics will add to your favor. For example, if you’re applying for an industrial design role, show that you understand that you’ll be working with stakeholders from various disciplines and therefore communication skills will be essential.
4
HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR INTERVIEWERS
An interview is not just a one-way Q&A session, it’s a conversation between you and the interviewer. Treat it as an opportunity to build a connection while also evaluating whether the job truly is the right fit for you. Here are a few ways to get the most out of this process:
• Ask questions about industry developments, such as how the company is responding to a recent trend, or how they’re trying to position themselves against a competitor. This shows interviewers that you can think critically about business topics and how they tie in with engineering work.
• Clarify as much as you can about indirect staff benefits such as staff insurance coverage, upskilling subsidies, the kind of training provided, or other such perks.
• Ask interviewers questions about their own personal career journey through the company – especially if some of them are engineers themselves.
• If possible, try to get a sense of the type of people you’ll be working with, or the company’s management style. This will help with your decision-making process.
FOLLOW UP AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Following up after the interview is an important step that can help you stand out from other candidates. It reinforces your stated interest in the position and the company, and it gives you an opportunity to reiterate your enthusiasm for the role.
• Send a thank-you text or email to the interviewer(s) within 24 hours of the interview. This can be a simple note expressing your gratitude for the opportunity to interview and your continued interest in the position.
• If you can, mention specific points of the conversation that you found interesting or relevant to your interests and career goals.
• Ask about the next steps in the hiring process and the timeline for a decision.
Tackling Engineering Assessment Centres
Keeping sight of the big picture while collaborating with a team is crucial to succeeding in assessment centres for engineering jobs.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Assessment centres for engineering jobs will usually involve some combination of the following:
• Engineering case studies
• Group exercises
• Aptitude and psychometric tests
• Presentations
Before attending the assessment centre, review what you know about the employer’s selection criteria carefully. This will help you to understand what skills and qualities the employer values most. Because assessment centres typically come after at least one round of interviews, make sure you use the interview stage to ask recruiters firsthand about what they’re looking for in candidates.
You can also practice for these by visiting your university careers services centre to ask if they conduct mock assessment centre workshops.
Engineering employers will typically use an assessment centre to determine a candidate’s suitability for a specific role. Assessment centres often consist of a series of group exercises, technical assessments, presentations, or other activities designed to evaluate different aspects of your skills. These allow recruiters to test your abilities on the spot instead of just interviewing you.
The key to acing assessment centres is understanding the requirements of the role you’re applying for and ensuring that you demonstrate those requirements on the day itself. Read on to find out what to expect from an assessment centre so you know how to prepare!
ENGINEERING CASE STUDIES
You will be given an engineering problem (usually related to the role) and asked to solve it. For example, you might be presented with a project schematic and asked to identify potential design improvements, or given some datasets and asked to analyse them and act on your findings.
Here are some tips on handling these:
• Case studies often have multiple possible solutions, so don’t fixate too much on finding the “right” answer. Work through the problem in the way that makes most logical sense to you and see what ideas come up.
• You may be asked to explain to recruiters how you arrived at your conclusion. Be sure to keep track of your thought process and the steps you took.
• Your solution should ideally make commercial sense – that is, it must contribute to the company’s engineering goals. Be prepared to justify how your proposed solution will ultimately benefit the employer.
GROUP EXERCISES
These will often be combined with case studies. You will be placed in a group with other candidates and must collaborate with them to complete a task, brainstorm ideas, or present a cohesive solution to recruiters.
Some tips on handling group exercises:
• If you are working on a case study as a group, divide the workload according to your teammates’ strengths so you can all work through it as efficiently as possible.
• Confidence is key in group exercises. Speak your mind without being too dominant, and ensure that everyone gets their chance to speak.
• Be positive and friendly. Show enthusiasm and support for others. Don’t tear anyone down or get confrontational. Try to encourage others or lift the mood when you can.
• Take the initiative. If no one is taking charge, do your best to lead the conversation and keep everyone on track. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the clock though!
APTITUDE AND PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS
These assessments come in two types. Aptitude tests evaluate your cognitive abilities, and test your numerical and logical reasoning. Psychometric tests are meant to identify personality traits and whether you’re a good fit for the role.
Numerical reasoning aptitude tests will present data in the form of graphs, charts, or tables. You’ll be asked to analyse the data, make calculations, and answer questions related to the information presented. Logical reasoning tests will give you a series of logical puzzles or scenarios that require you to deduce patterns in order to solve problems. Some employers may also include technical tests to ensure you have the correct engineering fundamentals.
Psychometric tests may ask you verbal reasoning, situational judgement, or personality trait questions. There’s not much need to prepare for these – just answer them as honestly as possible.
If you’d like to practice aptitude tests, try asking your university careers services centre if they have practice tests available. You can also find free ones online, but take those with discretion.
PRESENTATIONS
This is more common for client-facing engineering roles. You will be asked to prepare a brief presentation on a topic. Recruiters may either give you time to prepare (e.g. asking you to present on a technical project you’ve worked on in the past), or expect you to do up a presentation with a given topic on the spot.
This is meant to test your ability to convey complex technical information in a clear and engaging manner. With that said, here are some tips on delivering a great presentation:
• If you have the ability to choose a topic, choose one that you can speak about naturally and knowledgeably.
• Create an outline for your presentation. Not only will this help keep your thoughts organised, it can also help the audience follow along with your presentation.
• You can prepare notes in any format that you find convenient, but you should never, ever read from a script.
• Don’t attempt to cram too much information in or your audience will start to lose interest. If you have to use technical jargon, be sure to check that your audience understands what the terms mean before moving on.
If you are asked to present as a group (usually part of a group case study), make sure everyone has an opportunity to speak.
• Your body language can significantly impact your presentation. Try to stay calm, avoid fidgeting, and don’t back away from your audience or hide in a corner.
Aerospace Engineering
Design, develop, and maintain civilian and military aircraft, satellites, drones, and other flying vehicles.
OVERVIEW
Aerospace engineers develop, maintain, and test aircraft, their components, and flight control systems in order to ensure that flights are safe, fuel-efficient, and costefficient. They can work on both civilian and military aircraft, and may also be tapped for spaceflight projects.
Malaysia’s aerospace industry comprises both government and private sector players, and encompasses a range of opportunities in areas including aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), aeronautics, and space technology.
Aerospace engineering companies in Malaysia are not only working on domestic projects but also collaborating with international partners, making it a globally interconnected industry. This offers graduates a unique chance to work on complex projects with diverse international teams.
CAREER PATHWAYS
The majority of career opportunities locally are still found within the aircraft MRO industry. This involves the maintenance, servicing, and upkeep of commercial and private planes. Graduates may work within the designated engineering division of a major airline company, or with an engineering subcontractor providing MRO services to airline companies and private airfields.
However, the more cutting-edge technologies tend to be found within the military airspace sector. Though Malaysia does not develop its own military aircraft, there are designated local MRO contractors focusing specifically on military planes like fighter jets. Graduates may also find engineering opportunities working with unmanned flying reconnaissance vehicles (i.e. drones).
Aerospace manufacturing is another major pillar of the local aerospace engineering industry. The range of aerospace components designed and manufactured in Malaysia includes composite and metallic aerostructure materials, avionics systems (electronic systems that control and monitor aerospace vehicles), aircraft engines, and aircraft frames.
Aerospace engineers usually work in teams comprising engineers from different disciplines. These may also include other stakeholders such as suppliers of aircraft sub-components and academic research partners. Your workplace will typically be based on site
(e.g. aircraft workshops, production hangars, or factories) or you may be based in a designated research zone but will need to travel to sites from time to time.
You are free to choose the order of your sections and how you want to title them. However, try to place the sections that best demonstrate you have the ability to perform the job you are applying for upfront, and allocate the most space for those. For instance, if a job requires good teamwork skills, don’t hide the teambased work placement you completed on the second page!
REQUIRED SKILLS
Aerospace engineering roles can have very demanding requirements, reflecting the industry’s complexity and commitment to quality and safety. While a solid foundation in mathematics, physics, and engineering principles is crucial, additional soft skills are equally important.
Analytical thinking is a cornerstone of aerospace engineering. Engineers will spend a lot of time analysing data models, running simulations, and using computeraided design to stress-test components or improve aircraft operating efficiency.
Attention to detail is another vital attribute, as even the smallest error in the engineering process can have catastrophic consequences when applied to an actual aircraft. Aerospace engineers must also have a strong awareness of safety issues, and the initiative to identify and solve problems that affect safety and quality as they arise.
Since aerospace projects often involve multidisciplinary teams, effective communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills are key. Given the frequency of international partnerships within this industry, being fluent in multiple languages can be helpful for engineers as well.
Aerospace projects are often large and complex, taking up much longer timeframes on average compared to other engineering industries. As such, strong project management skills will come in handy to ensure timelines and budgets are met.
Creative and innovative thinking is also a plus, as many of the solutions required in this line of work must be developed from scratch and often can’t be sourced from elsewhere.
Automotive Engineering
Automotive engineers work in teams handling vehicle design, development, production, and testing.
OVERVIEW
Automotive engineering in Malaysia is all about designing, developing, and refining the vehicles that populate our roads. From the personal cars we encounter daily to emerging electric and hybrid models, this field plays a pivotal role in Malaysia’s journey towards technological advancement, industrialisation, and global recognition. Malaysia’s automotive industry is the third largest in Southeast Asia.
Automotive engineering encompasses various facets, from vehicle design and mechanical systems to safety features, powertrains, electric and hybrid technologies, and the vehicle manufacturing process itself. Employers in this industry include national car companies Proton and Perodua, domestic joint ventures with international vehicle companies, and auto parts manufacturers.
CAREER PATHWAYS
Automotive engineering roles can be found in both the pre-sales and after-sales segments of the automotive industry. Pre-sales broadly involves the development and manufacturing of vehicles themselves, while after-sales involves the supply of auto parts and the maintenance/ upkeep of both personal and specialised vehicles.
The work primarily involves building and testing prototypes of vehicles (or auto parts), analysing test results and resolving problems identified through testing, or investigating and solving problems with vehicles and their components (e.g. mechanical failures or power transfer inefficiencies). You may also be involved in the manufacturing and quality control process of vehicles as well as safety testing.
Modern automotive engineering is also deeply intertwined with electronics engineering and software development. Most modern vehicles are now equipped with onboard computers, in-car infotainment, and electronic control systems. Automotive engineers thus often work in teams with engineers and programmers of varying specialisations.
It must be noted that Malaysia’s automotive industry primarily focuses on the assembly of cars. The industry typically isn’t as involved in the vehicle design and development process, and is primarily geared towards manufacturing auto parts or assembling vehicles from components designed and manufactured elsewhere. This means that we currently sit on the lower end of the automotive supply chain.
However, as the automotive industry transitions towards sustainability, the government hopes to use the push towards hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) to remedy this. Malaysia is looking to attract EV manufacturers to set up design and development operations locally. The goal is to keep the work of designing, testing, and producing high-value EV components within the country. If this succeeds, it will most likely open up plenty of exciting new opportunities for engineering graduates in the coming years.
REQUIRED SKILLS
In addition to technical knowledge, several essential skills are vital for building a successful career in automotive engineering. At the core of this area of work is the ability to break down complex problems, analyse data, and develop innovative solutions. You must also have working knowledge of computer-aided design and testing.
Teamwork and collaboration skills are also essential. Automotive projects often involve multidisciplinary teams, as well as coordination with non-engineering staff such as sales and marketing teams or after-sales service staff. You may also be expected to liaise or negotiate with external vendors or subcontractors, so communication skills will be crucial.
Precision is important in automotive engineering. Even the tiniest design or manufacturing error can have significant consequences – whether in terms of manufacturing costs or human lives. You must exercise meticulous attention to detail on the job to ensure that all components and systems meet the required standards for safety and quality.
The automotive field is constant evolving, with new technologies and trends emerging regularly. Graduates need to stay adaptable and on top of the latest market movements, particular in areas such as reducing carbon emissions, EV and smart vehicle production, consumer design trends, and regulatory and safety requirements for vehicles.
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineers handle the processes and machinery used to transform raw materials into usable chemical products.
OVERVIEW
Chemical engineering focuses on the process of transforming raw materials into various chemical products, which can then be used in sectors such as manufacturing, energy, consumer goods and healthcare.
Given our domestic natural resources, the chemical industry in Malaysia has a particular focus on compounds derived from petroleum, natural gases, palm oil, and rubber. As a result, most local chemical engineering jobs tend to be found in the following segments: petrochemicals and liquid natural gases (LNGs), plastics and rubber manufacturing, industrial chemicals and gases, agricultural chemicals, and oleochemicals.
CAREER PATHWAYS
One of the primary career pathways for graduates into the local chemicals industry is process engineering., This focuses on designing, testing, and optimising the industrial processes used to manufacture or refine chemical compounds. Chemical process engineers must work out the most cost-efficient production methods, ensure that equipment is well-maintained and output is on schedule, and may even be tasked with managing the setup of new manufacturing plants.
After you have built a foundation in process engineering, you may then consider specialising in a specific chemical engineering segment – typically one of the five major ones mentioned above. There are, however, other segments which are also currently upand-coming.
Environmental sustainability is now a huge topic for the global chemical engineering industry, and Malaysia’s is no exception. This has given rise to new sub-specialisations within the local chemical engineering industry, including areas such as carbon capture, storage and utilisation (CCSU); advanced chemical recycling (e.g. synthesizing plastic waste into other compounds), sustainable chemical waste management, and biofuel/ hydrogen fuel manufacturing.
This means that there will be plenty of promising new opportunities for graduates within the industry beyond the traditional chemical segments. However, it also means that a working knowledge of sustainable manufacturing practices will soon be a requirement for graduates keen on this sector, given the industry-wide
changes involved. Best brush up on your knowledge of those before an interview!
It must also be pointed out that most chemical engineering jobs will be based on-site at plants or refineries. This is not a line of work that can be done remotely, so make sure you factor that into your career planning.
REQUIRED SKILLS
The basic technical skills for this line of work include a strong knowledge of chemistry and a good head for numbers. However, it takes some additional skills in order for you to fully thrive!
Graduates keen on this industry must have strong analytical skills. You will have to dissect complex manufacturing processes and all the data that comes out of them in order to optimise efficiency. Good problem-solving skills are key too when you are faced with challenges in process design or if output is affected by equipment failure.
Chemical engineers often collaborate with crossfunctional teams, so strong communication and teamwork skills are crucial. The ability to convey your ideas or solutions clearly and coordinate work with others is crucial to ensuring production continues smoothly.
Project management skills, time management skills, and the ability to work well under pressure are also important. Chemical engineering processes typically work on tight deadlines, and delays can have huge knock-on effects on other industries that rely on those chemical products. You should also be prepared to be on call at odd hours in the event that there is an emergency and process output is affected.
Lastly, a strong commitment to health and safety in your work is important. You will be working with hazardous materials and heavy machinery, so ensuring that the processes and work premises are safe both for the environment and for other workers at the plant is crucial to avoid tragic mishaps.
Civil Engineering
Civil engineers play a crucial role in shaping the physical landscape and urban environments we live in.
OVERVIEW
Civil engineering is all about creating and improving the built environments we live in. Civil engineers plan, design, and manage construction and ongoing maintenance of buildings and infrastructure. This encompasses diverse areas such as the development of roads, bridges, and buildings that shape the urban landscape, as well as crucial facilities like power plants, railways, airports, harbours, and water and sewer systems.
Civil engineering roles generally fall into two categories: consulting engineers (consultants) and contracting engineers (contractors). Consultants are responsible for the planning and design of projects and mainly work in an office. Contractors are typically based on-site, and are tasked with implementing project designs through the construction process.
CAREER PATHWAYS
Graduates keen on careers in civil engineering must first have a civil engineering degree accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Council of the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM). In order to advance in your career, you will need to sit for the Professional Assessment Examination (PAE) by BEM to be certified as a Professional Engineer (Ir.). You can only do this after acquiring 3 years of practical experience in the civil engineering industry.
Most graduates typically start off interning or taking on junior roles with either consulting or contracting engineering firms. The barrier to entry for contracting engineering firms generally tends to be lower than the consulting side for graduate-level roles. However, it is not uncommon for contracting engineers to switch over to the consulting side later on in their career – especially after obtaining Ir. certification.
Depending on whether you are a consulting or contracting engineer, typical work tasks could include: doing feasibility studies for projects, using software to develop project designs, liaising with clients and subcontractors, supervising tendering processes, managing materials and project resources, resolving design and construction issues, ensuring projects comply with legal, environmental, health and safety requirements; and keeping projects on schedule and within budget.
As you advance in your career, you may find specific engineering areas to specialise in. Examples include transportation engineering, power plant and power
transmission construction, waste management and water treatment, geotechnical engineering (ensuring stable foundations for construction projects), or structural engineering.
Working hours for consulting engineers are generally normal office hours, though expect overtime and weekend work close to project deadlines. Contractors, on the other hand, often work on-site in all permissible weathers and their hours will be tied to shift timings as a result.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Project management skills are the most important trait for civil engineers. You will have to maintain an overview of entire projects (or segments of a project) while attending to detailed technical issues. All while ensuring that work can continue smoothly and that projects stay on budget.
Strong mathematical and technical skills are key too, especially for consultant engineers. You will be using specialised software like Autodesk to model projects, or writing algorithms to test building structure behaviours and anticipate potential challenges. This is also a necessary skill for contractors, who must perform complex calculations on-site.
Excellent communication and negotiation skills are also crucial. Consultant and contractor engineers must liaise not only with each other, but also with clients, subcontractors, external authorities, and construction workers.
Good problem solving and risk management skills are also important. For instance, if heavy rain is forecasted for the next few days, what impact will this have on things like soil condition on the project site? What steps will you take to mitigate potential delays, or to secure key project areas or equipment to ensure they aren’t damaged?
Lastly, with the current trend towards environmentally sustainable development, staying up-to-date on sustainable built environment principles, green engineering concepts, and energy-efficient design practices will give graduates an advantage in the market. Equally linked to this are topics of sustainable waste management for construction sites and built environments. Keep an eye out for opportunities to upskill your knowledge in these areas.
Control Engineering
Control Engineers apply broader engineering principles to effectively manage and regulate systems and processes of all sizes.
OVERVIEW
Control Engineering is all about designing, implementing, and maintaining systems that automate processes and regulate output. The work of control engineers has a wide range of applications, whether for industrial purposes or in daily-use consumer electronic products.
Most modern industrial processes make heavy use of sensors or detectors to measure quality and rate of output. Control engineers work with the data collected by these sensors to design automated systems that can keep output quality within acceptable ranges and make real-time adjustments where necessary.
For instance, a control engineer could design a system that manages a manufacturing assembly line –speeding up or slowing down the machinery, or adjusting the input of raw materials where necessary in order to maintain consistent product quality and rate of assembly.
CAREER PATHWAYS
For graduates, working in control engineering opens up options across a wide range of industries. You could be optimising processes for a manufacturing company, regulating energy production at a power plant, automating assembly lines with robotics, or designing firmware for smart vehicles or consumer electronics.
Within Malaysia, most control engineering opportunities can be found in the manufacturing, automotive, energy and public utilities, or petrochemical industries. This is by no means exhaustive, of course. The work of a control engineer has many transferable skills, and you could even be tapped for other areas of work such as designing processes for companies, or setting up centralised control systems for an urban area.
Control engineers also have the option of specializing in a specific sub-field later on in their career. Some examples include automation engineers, instrumentation engineers, process control engineers, or robotics. You will, however, need to get certified as a Professional Engineer (Ir.) by the Board of Engineers Malaysia if you intend to advance your career in this field and be allowed to work on larger industrial projects.
Regardless of the industry, the core work of control engineers is all about increasing a company’s competitive edge – by boosting efficiency, reducing margin for error, maintaining consistent quality control,
and optimising operating costs. In order to do this, you will need to have a solid understanding of the company’s operations and processes as a whole.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Most employers hiring for control engineering roles typically require graduates to have either mechanical or electrical engineering degrees, or more specific disciplines such as control engineering or mechatronics. However, you must be able to demonstrate other key skills as well.
You will make heavy use of mathematical modeling, computer programming, and knowledge of system dynamics in this line of work.
For example, a control engineer optimising a manufacturing process must be able to calculate how the speed of one component affects the overall production rate and how to write a progamme to regulate that.
Other key soft skills to demonstrate include problem solving abilities and attention to detail. You must be able to step back and look at the bigger picture of a process, while still keeping an eye on the finer minutiae and individual data points to diagnose inefficiencies. You must also be able to proactively spot potential inefficiencies as data points come in, and move to mitigate them by your own initiative.
Communication and teamwork skills will be crucial as well. After all, a process is only as effective as the humans that interact with it. You will spend a lot of time speaking with colleagues/stakeholders at different stages of the process to understand how things work. You will also need to effectively convey changes in processes to everyone involved, work with others on the implementation, and ensure that those adjustments are adhered to in the future.
Lastly, as sustainability becomes a global priority, companies are now more concerned about optimising energy usage and reducing wastage from internal processes. Ccontrol engineers must stay up to date on green engineering principles and new advances in process and automation engineering that can assist companies with minimising their carbon footprint.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers design, develop, and install electrical power systems to meet the energy needs of consumers, companies, and public infrastructure.
OVERVIEW
Electrical engineering – not to be confused with electronics engineering – is about the delivery and transmission of electrical power to structures and systems that need it. These professionals play a vital role in the design, development, and upkeep of electrical grids, power delivery systems, and their components. Their work, spans critical sectors such as telecommunications, manufacturing, and power generation.
In Malaysia, graduates entering the field of electrical engineering can expect to work in a wide range of industries. The field itself comprises a broad spectrum of specialties, including power systems, control systems, built environment, power generation, and telecommunications, offering graduates the opportunity to explore and specialize in specific areas.
CAREER PATHWAYS
The nature of your work as an electrical engineer will depend on the industry you work in. Most employers hire general graduate electrical engineers with the goal of developing their specialist knowledge further on the job. You can typically expect to work alongside engineers from other disciplines, but your role will be to provide electrical engineering expertise.
However, some employers don’t necessarily need their electrical engineers to specialise in any one field. In such cases, you will usually develop into a more “generalist” engineer – integrating knowledge from other areas of engineering using your electrical engineering background as the base.
Typical duties for graduate electrical engineers include designing project specifications and carrying out feasibility studies for potential projects, drafting out project plans and diagrams, overseeing the installation of electrical systems, planning testing and maintenance schedules for electrical systems, and maintaining project documentation and maintenance records. Most of the work needs to be done on-site, as you have to be wherever the physical infrastructure is set up.
Opportunities for specialisation abound in both the public and private sectors as you advance in your career. You could be working on infrastructure projects that enhance the national energy grid, integrate sustainable energy sources into existing power systems, set up power infrastructure for manufacturing operations or work on the rollout of new telecommunication technologies.
Renewable energy in particular is an up-and-coming area of specialisation within this field. As more companies and countries seek to decarbonise their power systems and incentivise the integration of renewable energy sources into legacy infrastructure, there will be more and more demand for electrical engineers who can work on such projects.
Professional Engineer (Ir.) status with the Board of Engineers Malaysia will be crucial if you plan to advance your career in this field, as you will need that certification to work on or bid for larger-scale or nationalised electrical infrastructure projects.
REQUIRED SKILLS
You will need a relevant degree in electrical engineering that has been certified by the Board of Engineers Malaysia in order to enter this field. However, beyond that, there are other transferable skills that potential employers will want to see as well.
Data analysis skills are crucial to this line of work, as a large part of the job involves analysing and interpreting data collected from power systems in order to analyse their uptime and energy delivery efficiency.
Strong problem-solving skills are also key, and this includes being able to anticipate potential problems before they take place and take steps to mitigate them. This ties in to another key skill – risk management abilities. Malfunctions and failures in power systems can involve huge amounts of electrical energy, which can be very expensive or fatal if the proper precautions aren’t taken.
Electrical engineers must also have a strong sense of commercial awareness. You must ensure that projects you work on are aligned with the organisation’s goals, factoring in variables such as budgets, deployment timescales and cost of implementation. Good time management and project management skills are also necessary to keep things on track and within acceptable costs.
Lastly, good communication and teamwork skills are important. Electrical engineers typically work in teams, often with engineers from multiple disciplines. Knowing how to present your findings, convey instructions, divide up the work, and tackle complex projects together as a team will be key to success.
Electronics Engineering
Electronics engineers design and develop products that use electricity – from semiconductors to consumer and industrial devices.
OVERVIEW
Electronics engineers design, develop, and test electronic devices and their sub-components. This could range from the semiconductors and microchips that are core to all modern tech to consumer devices such as appliances, computers, and smartphones; all the way to complex electronic machinery and robotics for industrial or military use.
Malaysia has a very strong electronics manufacturing industry, with exports of electronic products and components comprising 38.2% of the nation’s total exports. The domestic electronics industry runs the full gamut from semiconductor manufacturing to consumer and industrial devices, and soon, Electric Vehicles (EVs).
CAREER PATHWAYS
The type of work that you will do as an electronics engineer varies depending on which segment of the industry you are employed in.
Engineers working in a semiconductor company will design and test chipsets or integrated circuits. Even further upstream, you may be designing and producing passive components such as resistors and capacitors, or be involved in the manufacture of silicon itself.
Consumer or industrial electronics companies then take those chipsets (as well as other components) and design products that integrate them. As an engineer in this area, you will be working on more complex integrated devices such as smartphones, home appliances, medical devices, or industrial manufacturing machinery.
Electronics engineers may work in different specialisations dependent on where you are in the electronics value chain. Some examples include designing chipsets, chipset layout (turning the design into a physical layer of silicon), manufacturing, packaging, testing and QA, and field application engineering (i.e. providing technical support for clients using an industrial electronics product).
This sector tends to be very fast-paced due to constant advances in technology. Being able to stay constantly abreast of the latest industry developments and pivot accordingly will be key to career longevity in this area of work.
Graduate engineers in this industry usually start off working on parts of a project alongside a team of other engineers. As you gain more practical experience, you’ll be assigned greater responsibilities until you reach a senior engineering role. At this point, career paths tend to diverge. You can choose to stay on the technical side of the industry, or transition towards a managementfocused role.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Most jobs in this field typically require a relevant degree in electrical or electronics engineering. However, employers may also hire graduates from other disciplines such as software engineering, physics, or the material sciences depending on the specific nature of the role within the industry.
Complex problem-solving and critical thinking skills are crucial to this line of work, as you will often be working with new or emerging technology trends, or asked to integrate designs that have not been fully tested yet. Being able to troubleshoot issues through trial and error will be crucial in pushing new products out to market and upscaling their manufacture.
Working knowledge of industrial design software is a key requirement in this line of work too. You will be spending a lot of time either tweaking product specs or analysing layout schematics. Good time management and project planning skills will also be vital. This is a very fast-paced industry with tight deadlines, after all.
As mentioned above, you must also have a strong sense of commercial awareness and resilience to keep abreast of constant industry changes.
Understanding how recent developments in tech can be applied to your area of work or may affect your employer’s business direction will make the pivoting process easier. Consider as well the recent trends towards AI-enabled tech, sustainable electronics manufacturing, and Malaysia’s push towards EV adoption and how these might affect prospects for the local electronics industry.
Lastly, good communication and teamwork skills are important, as is inter-cultural awareness. Knowing how to communicate effectively across project scopes and international boundaries will be incredibly vital to getting things done on schedule.
Energy & Power Generation
Generate and manage electricity to meet the rising demand for power, and be part of the process of switching to sustainable energy sources.
OVERVIEW
Power generation deals with the production of energy, its transmission and distribution to homes and commercial properties, as well as its metering and sales.
In Malaysia, this industry is dominated by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the only electric utilities provider in most of the country excluding Sarawak. However, there is also huge ecosystem of complementary companies supporting or contributing to the national power grid. This is where most engineering opportunities outside of TNB can be found.
Right now, roughly 80% of Malaysia’s power generation comes from thermal power plants (i.e. using oil and coal), with hydroelectric plants and renewable energy sources comprising the remaining 18% and 2% respectively. However, the government’s National Energy Policy plans to change that energy mix ratio to 70% renewable energy by 2050, with an interim goal of 40% renewable energy by 2035.
CAREER PATHWAYS
Electrical, civil, and mechanical engineers are always in high demand in this industry. However there are equally plenty of opportunities for graduates from other engineering disciplines depending on where you are placed on the power generation and delivery supply chain.
Career progression pathways will obviously vary by employer. Working with TNB will be a very different experience than working for a small company working to integrate solar energy into a local power grid; or a property developer looking to setup power transmission infrastructure to a new township, for instance.
Still, as a general rule, you can expect to start off working in multidisciplinary teams with other engineers. Your team could be assigned to focus on a specific project niche, or just be a part of a larger project group. Expect to be highly-mobile – even deskbound engineers will be involved in site surveys or on-site testing at some point. Projects can span anywhere from a few days to a few years.
Renewable energy is, of course, the huge growth area for this industry. Expanding domestic hydroelectric generation capabilities is the government’s biggest priority, since it is the most reliable source of energy. However, there are also ongoing efforts to explore the
extent to which solar photovoltaic (PV) energy and biofuels can be reliable contributors to the national energy mix. The government is also in the midst of feasibility studies to determine if nuclear energy can be an acceptable domestic option.
Given the national-level scale of this industry, there’s no shortage of options for where graduate engineers could progress their career. For instance, you could choose to specialise in tackling day-to-day power generation/transmission issues, build power generation infrastructure, switch to technical sales, or work in specialised engineering consultancies focused on energy issues.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Complex problem-solving and systems thinking skills are crucial to this line of work. You must be able to step back and see the bigger picture at all times. Working with power grids means understanding how to integrate your work into a much larger system that may be undergoing multiple projects simultaneously in different areas too.
Good risk assessment and safety management skills are vitally important as well. Lapses in judgement can have catastrophic consequences – both in terms of human lives as well as mass economic disruption. Strong risk management will be key to ensuring all projects go according to plan.
Strong communication and teamwork skills are also important. You will be working in teams with other engineers, but possibly also working around other teams’ ongoing projects or optimisations within the broader system. Constantly liaising with others and planning around their schedules is going to be a big part of your day-to-day work.
Lastly, having good project management skills even while under pressure is also key. In the event of an unplanned emergency or sudden changes to project scopes in light of new information, you will be racing against the clock to ensure things get done on time. Being able to keep a cool head and allocate time and resources effectively while still keeping an eye on safety is certainly a highly valuable trait in this industry.
Engineering Consultants
Use your expertise to advise clients on technical considerations in complex engineering projects.
OVERVIEW
Engineering consultants are usually hired by other companies to assist in projects that in-house experience alone may not be able to cover. Their services can range from providing highly specialised technical input, to endto-end engineering project management for clients.
For instance, a rail company looking to adopt new tunnelling technology for building subway lines may need to engage the services of an engineering consultant to assess its suitability. The consultant will assess whether the machines will be safe to use in an urban environment, along with how the company can integrate the machines into their future project workflows.
Bigger engineering consultancy firms generally comprise multidisciplinary teams of engineers catering to multiple areas of expertise. This could be as broad as urban planning or as specialised as airport crosswind monitoring.
On the other hand, there are also small and mediumsized engineering consultancies which may just specialise in a specific area. Examples include environmental, geotechnical, and structural engineering, or industrial waste recycling.
CAREER PATHWAYS
Graduate-level positions in this industry tend to be very competitive – especially those at big engineering consulting firms. You will need to have stellar grades and attractive past work experience to even make the cut. A more common pathway into this industry is gaining a few years of experience as an engineer elsewhere before transitioning into this line of work.
With that said, graduate engineers in this industry typically start out assisting senior consulting engineers on their projects. You can expect to do a lot of data crunching and project optimisation work, as well as shadowing your seniors on site visits and client meetings.
As you gain more experience, you’ll eventually start liaising directly with clients or other external parties like project subcontractors. In order to keep advancing in this industry, you may need to pursue additional specialised qualifications as well as achieve chartered status in your specific engineering area.
This industry gives you the chance to work on a much wider variety of projects or tasks compared to other engineering roles. Turning clients’ needs into
technical designs, conducting site surveys, project planning, management and supervision; evaluating subcontractors, organising project supply chains, assessing emerging technologies, or even getting approval from local authorities – these are just a sampling of the tasks you may be handling as a consultant.
Engineering consultants often find themselves working with professionals from many different fields, from clients in non-engineering sectors to specialists in related technical areas. You will constantly pick up new competencies, skills, knowledge, and contacts; which greatly expands your options for where you can go in your future career.
REQUIRED SKILLS
This is a very demanding line of work, and you will need to have very strong technical knowledge in your area of specialisation. You must also be constantly up-to-date on new or emerging developments within your chosen engineering field, as well as their possible industrial applications.
You will need to effectively demonstrate a wide range of soft skills on the job: creative thinking, problemsolving skills, good project and time management abilities, and critical thinking skills. You must also have the ability to both work in teams, as well as manage teams if needed.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills will be crucial in this line of work. You will be giving project presentations to client executives (often from a nonengineering background), negotiating with external vendors or sub-contractors, getting buy-ins from inhouse engineers on the client side, or liaising with other external consultants and specialists involved in the project.
Lastly, you must also be able to demonstrate commercial awareness – understanding how the engineering side of things affects a client’s business position within the market. This is a line of work where your services often extend beyond just helping clients solve engineering problems, but also improving their standing with regards to market perception, regulatory compliance, or potential business expansion.
Materials Engineering
Develop new materials for industrial applications, or assess what materials are suitable for use in various engineering projects.
OVERVIEW
Since almost everything in the engineering industry depends on physical components and built structures, it goes without saying that all of this hinges on the development and integration of suitable industrial materials. This is where the work of materials engineers comes in.
Materials engineers specialise in the properties and structures of different materials, such as plastics, metals, chemical coatings, and nanomaterials. They use their knowledge to research, develop, and test new materials that can solve industry problems; as well as figure out how to maintain or replace existing materials.
This area of work covers a broad scope: from the sourcing and analysis of raw resources, research into new material compounds, the manufacturing and sale of materials, and their implementation and upkeep within manufactured products and built structures.
CAREER PATHWAYS
There are two broad pathways within this line of work. The first is working on the supply-side of materials, and the second is working as an in-house engineer for companies that purchase and use materials. It is not uncommon for materials engineers to switch sides over the course of their careers.
Employers on the supply-side are companies that develop and produce materials for industrial use. On this side of the industry, materials engineers could be involved in developing new alloys or composites for industrial use, testing or doing quality control for manufactured materials, developing manufacturing processes for materials, or selling materials to other engineering companies.
In-house materials engineers are responsible for sourcing, testing, and integrating materials for industrial use. For instance, an oil and gas company may employ you to monitor the structural integrity of their mining rigs or investigate instances of material failure. Likewise, a medical device manufacturer may hire you to evaluate and source different plastic composites that can be used in their products.
Regardless of which side of the industry you end up on, junior materials engineers usually start off focusing on testing, sourcing, procurement, and QA duties. You will typically need some years of experience doing materials
analysis and a relevant master’s degree (or higher) before you can advance to more specialised tasks such as developing new materials.
Technical sales of materials is another possible area of focus within this industry. This involves working with clients to understand their industrial needs so you can supply them with the right materials and advise them on integrating those into their current processes.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Sound technical knowledge, attention to detail, and strong analytical skills are a must-have in this line of work. Materials engineers will need to draw from many other engineering disciplines to identify the best use cases for the materials they work with. Being able to pick up and integrate adjacent technical concepts quickly into your work will play a big role in getting things done.
Good communication and interpersonal skills are important as well. You will need to engage with lots of other engineers and executives in the course of your work – especially when testing and procurement of new materials is involved.
Being flexible and adaptable to change is necessary for this line of work. There are constant ongoing advances in materials production, particularly in areas such as nano- and bio-materials as well as composites. You will have to stay on top of these developments and how they could be integrated into your area of work, even if it means phasing out older materials in the process.
Lastly, environmental concerns are an ongoing topic that materials engineers should be aware of. This industry can have a huge environmental footprint, whether from the extraction of rare metals needed to make alloys, or the waste byproducts that result from materials production. Materials suppliers are thus under constant pressure to develop new production methods to alleviate these problems. This is something you will have to keep engaging with as an engineer as well.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineers bring a diverse set of machine-focused skills that can be applied across multiple engineering industries.
OVERVIEW
Mechanical engineers basically specialise in machines. They design, develop, install, and maintain machinery that is either used or sold in various industrial settings. This means they can often play a pivotal role across multiple industries, including manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and energy generation.
In Malaysia, the field of mechanical engineering is incredibly dynamic, with professionals engaged in diverse projects ranging from product design to process optimization. Mechanical engineering opportunities can also extend to addressing contemporary challenges such as sustainable design, energy efficiency, and the integration of emerging technologies.
CAREER PATHWAYS
Mechanical engineering roles generally evolve in two directions. In some organisations, you become a mechanical engineering specialist, applying your skills to specific aspects of technical operations. However, other organisations may require you to be a generalist, applying your knowledge to other engineering disciplines or covering for other engineers from different backgrounds.
Graduate mechanical engineers typically start off in process improvement roles – analysing existing machine set-ups/designs and exploring how to further maximise process efficiency within a specific operation area while minimising wastage.
As you gain more experience, you may be assigned to greater responsibilities such as the setup and integration of new machines or mechanical components into existing process chains, or getting involved in the design process for new mechanical devices or components. Continued professional growth often leads to project management roles, though some engineers may also branch to become engineering consultants.
Mechanical engineers often work with multidisciplinary teams of other engineers. Roles can be found in any industry involving machines or moving mechanical parts. You could be managing an automated assembly line at a manufacturing company, building engines for marine vessels, designing centralised ventilation systems for buildings, or installing clean energy capture solutions into power grids. This means you’ll have tremendous flexibility in figuring out where to chart the trajectory of your career.
In terms of education, a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field is a workable foundation. However, you may need to seek additional certifications or pursue advanced degrees if you intend to specialise in specific fields, such as mechatronics, aerospace, or renewable energy.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Excellent technical and system-thinking skills are obviously a must-have in this line of work. You will have to analyse and work with complex industrial machinery or figure out how multiple interlinking systems of mechanical components work together.
Strong communication skills, teamwork, and the ability to learn quickly are important as well. Mechanical engineers often work in multidisciplinary teams, and your work will intersect across multiple engineering fields. Being able to communicate effectively with nonmechanical engineers and figure out how their work affects yours will be key to getting things done.
Good project management skills and the ability to work under pressure are also important. In more senior roles, you will be involved in much more project coordination work – from allocating resources to managing timelines and budgets. Being able to keep a cool head is important when rushing to get project implementations done on time or if your team is called in to respond to a critical mechanical failure.
Creative thinking and problem-solving skills are also necessary in this line of work. Sometimes the solutions or parts you require for your work may not even exist yet. In such cases, you will have to figure out how to improvise with existing components or figure out how to fabricate custom components where needed. Be prepared to think out of the box!
Oil & Gas Engineering
Oil and Gas Engineers can find diverse opportunities both locally and abroad, though they also need to keep an eye on changing global energy needs.
OVERVIEW
The oil and gas industry’s importance to Malaysia’s economy is common knowledge, given our significant offshore oil reserves. As such, graduates looking to work in this industry can become integral parts of a sector that is a key component of Malaysia’s economic growth and energy security.
However, this industry is also facing massive changes worldwide, given diminishing hydrocarbon reserves, global instability, and environmental concerns. Graduates entering this industry must be prepared to confront the evolving challenge of balancing energy needs with environmental and social responsibility.
CAREER PATHWAYS
Engineers in this field can work in “upstream” roles such as exploration and production, or “downstream” roles, such as refining and sales. The former revolves mainly around the search and extraction of new oil and gas beds, whereas the latter is about processing crude oil into commercial products which can be traded on the market as commodities.
Upstream work tends to have much longer timescales and often takes place in far-flung locales. For instance, the surveying and setup phases for new oil bed extraction could take about 5 – 10 years on average. For production work, you could be posted in remote inland sites, on offshore oil rigs, or on mobile mining ships.
Downstream work tends to have more predictable hours and working conditions. You could be doing process management in a local refinery, managing the supply chain and safe transportation of crude oil or processed oil and gas products, handling waste disposal for oil byproducts, or working in a trading office.
Potential employers in this field can range from huge international companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell, or BHP, domestic state-linked players like PETRONAS, or engineering services providers, specialised operators, contractors and suppliers catering to the specific needs of this industry.
Given the international nature of this industry, you can find roles not just domestically, but abroad as well. A bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering field is a good entry point for many roles, but you will typically need a master’s degree in order to qualify for more advanced engineering roles in this line of work.
Environmental issues remain a looming concern in the industry, though. Engineers are urged to research ways to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact that comes with both the extraction and consumption of fossil fuel products. Many oil and gas companies are also attempting to pivot to clean energy sources, but it remains to be seen if this will ultimately result in actual systemic change.
REQUIRED SKILLS
The oil and gas industry has need of engineers from a wide variety of disciplines. As long as you have an accredited engineering degree, it’s often just a matter of finding a role within the industry that matches your field. There are, however, other skills that are in-demand within this industry.
Effective communication and teamwork skills are crucial in this line of work. You will be working on projects in teams with other engineers, often in highpressure environments. Being able to divide up tasks and coordinate with each other is important in ensuring that projects and tasks get completed safely and on schedule.
Speaking of which, being able to work well under pressure is also another key trait. The oil and gas industry runs 24/7, from extraction and refining to transportation and trading. Production setbacks or supply chain disruptions could have huge impacts on the global energy supply. Knowing how to keep a cool head and think problems through in a constantly active environment is critically important.
Strong interpersonal and cultural communication skills are important too. This is an international industry, and you may find yourself dealing with workers and executives from all around the world – especially in upstream roles. Resilience is also another key trait, as upstream roles can be very difficult and isolating, especially if you are posted in no-man’s land.
Telecommunications Engineering
Keep the world connected by researching, setting up, and testing communications equipment, systems, and infrastructure.
OVERVIEW
Telecommunications engineers design, install, and maintain electrical communications systems and infrastructure for industrial or consumer use. These systems can include telephone and mobile data networks, broadcasting infrastructure for TV or radio, military communication networks, or even communication between airplanes or ships.
There are many possible career tracks in this line of work. You could work for telecommunications hardware manufacturers, telecommunications service providers (telcos), or organisations that require secure longdistance communications systems such as airports (e.g. air traffic control) or oil and gas companies (e.g. communicating with offshore rigs and drilling vessels).
CAREER PATHWAYS
TThis sector typically requires graduates to have relevant degrees in electrical, electronics, or telecommunications engineering. Though there can also be roles for those with control and systems engineering backgrounds. You will, however, usually need a master’s degree in telecommunications engineering or higher if you intend to advance to more senior engineering or research roles later on.
Most graduates start off as network techniciansinstalling new equipment for existing telecommunication networks, or testing and maintaining current systems. This will give you hands-on experience in the foundational aspects of this sector.
Once you gain sufficient experience, you will typically take on more duties optimising existing communication networks or designing and planning for new ones. This usually includes doing on-site surveys and overseeing installation and maintenance of equipment once the physical work starts.
Senior engineers usually spend more of their time doing project management and planning work. Some may also choose to break out and become specialised contractors for telecommunications projects, or work as engineering consultants in this area. If you’re working for a hardware provider, you could also move into doing R&D for new communications standards and technology, though you will need additional qualifications first (such as a Ph.D.).
You will be working in teams with other telecommunications engineers and planners, and
sometimes with specialists from other areas such as IT or cybersecurity. However, be prepared to spend a lot of time traveling to sites to manage installation projects – sometimes in very remote locations. You may also need to work odd hours, especially if your role involves responding to emergencies such as equipment failure.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Demonstrating strong problem-solving, analytical, and technical skills is crucial in this line of work. You will be working with complex, interconnected systems of telecommunications networks. Knowing how to accurately diagnose and analyse systems at scale in order to identify or pre-empt problems is key to making sure projects are executed smoothly.
Adaptability and a constant willingness to learn is also key. Telecommunications technology continues to evolve rapidly, and you will need to stay updated on developing technology and industry standards to stay ahead in this field. Critical network projects will also require you to build redundancies across multiple mediums, including radio waves, fibre-optic cables, and satellite uplink; further highlighting the need for you to be resourceful and adaptable.
Good organisational and project management skills are also important, as well as effective communication and interpersonal abilities. You will be dealing with a lot of people in this line of work, including other engineers on your team, project subcontractors, or executive decision makers. Being able to track and communicate work progress accurately is a big part of ensuring things are done on time and within budget.
Lastly, the ability to work well under pressure is also crucial. Given the critical role communications infrastructure plays in our world today, projects in this field can have tight deadlines – more so if you are troubleshooting problems within active networks. Keeping a cool head to think things through while still keeping your eye on the clock is undoubtedly an important trait to have.
