Insights 5 steps to get your engineering career started after graduation

1. Choose an engineering discipline to pursue

A career in engineering can take many forms, so the first step is to decide what it is you find interesting and enjoy doing. You might choose to go down the civil engineering path and build a greener future on some of the most complex and challenging infrastructure projects in the world. Or you might decide to do geotechnical engineering, getting involved at all stages of the design process and establishing the viability of a site depending on the integrity of the soil, clay, silt, sand, or rock in the ground. At AtkinsRéalis , we have opportunities within all of these disciplines and more.

2. Research potential employers

A huge part of deciding your next step after graduation is who you want to work for. Both large and small engineering companies have benefits and drawbacks. However, when researching potential employers, take a look at their vision and values and find out what they stand for and if they align with your personal principles. If they are committed to sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and innovation, you’ll know that they are working in societies best interests. At AtkinsRéalis for example, our diversity is our strength, plus we recently announced our revised strategies and solutions for a Net Zero Carbon future.

Additionally, it’s worth looking at projects that a company have worked on and where their expertise lies. Our team in India have worked on some of the most prestigious projects in the world with remote design and support, including Thames Tideway in London, Dubai Opera in the UAE, and the Purple Line in Maryland, USA. International exposure gives our colleagues endless opportunities to develop and improve their skills.

3. Obtain some work experience

If you’re fresh out of university, and you haven’t lined up an engineering graduate scheme yet, it’s a good idea to get some relevant work experience related to what you’d like to pursue a career in. It might not be your dream job, and you may have to start at the bottom to work your way up, but this shows a commitment to pursuing engineering and a valuable way to pick up key skills that you can add to your CV.

4. Finesse your CV

Having an up-to-date CV is always recommended. No matter how innovative of an engineer or how experienced you are as a professional, a well-written, properly formatted CV tailored to a specific role should never be overlooked. Add the most important information to the top, and remove any unnecessary information that recruiters don’t need to know about within the first 30 seconds of looking at your CV. 

Another useful tip is to make your CV computer friendly. Recruiters and employers are increasingly using software to undertake preliminary scans on applicants’ CVs, so you’ll want it to be understandable.

5. Prepare for an interview

If you’ve completed all the above steps, and you’ve been sending out your CV to prospective employers, it’s time to start preparing for an interview. This might be a completely new process for you, and it can be daunting, so the earlier you start, the better.

Interviewers will know that you’re in the early stages of your career without masses of experience, so when they ask situational questions, they’re not always expecting you to have been in that position. However, they will want to know, hypothetically, how you’d respond to certain situations. From this, interviewers can find out information about your soft skills, such as problem-solving, teamwork and time management.

Start your engineering career at AtkinsRéalis in India

We’re proud of the multi-cultural workplace and open, friendly environment that we foster at AtkinsRéalis . We ensure everyone is included when it comes to sharing ideas and perspectives. Our progressive environments promote a healthy work-life balance and equal opportunities for all.

We regularly hire and train India’s top graduates, interns and apprentices, enabling them to hone their skills on major international projects across our markets. If you’re looking for your next step after graduating, browse our available civil engineering jobs in India today or find out more about why India is the place to build your civil engineering career.