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Suppose you have graduated with an engineering degree. In that case, you might feel proud because you have endured 4 years of classes, assignments and exams but are also overwhelmed since graduation is just the start of your professional career. Getting the job is one thing, but getting past the graduate engineering phase can be a struggle. We’ve all been there, and below is a guide on how you can progress beyond the graduate engineering position.
But first, we need to know the differences between graduate engineers and engineers?
Graduate engineer or graduate engineer trainee is a position offered to newly graduated engineers to gain the necessary skills to become competent engineers. Although graduate engineers are qualified to call themselves “Engineers”, most companies run graduate programs for 1-2 years to teach graduates the skills required to succeed in the industry and to familiars graduate with the nature of work.
Engineer refers to someone who has practised engineering for 3+ years, while a graduate engineer is someone who has just graduated from university and worked in the industry for less than 2 years.
The distinction between graduate engineers and engineers is the degree of competence they possess and their ability to work independently with high effectiveness, which the graduate engineer usually lacks; hence practical experience is required after graduation to push the graduate engineer toward an engineering position.
Graduate trainee positions are beneficial to companies to train new graduates and keep them after the program. Retaining young engineers can be difficult, mainly because of employee compensation and benefits that make engineers susceptible to changing careers. This is why most companies offer entry positions to engineers with many benefits to keep them in the company after completing the graduate program if they prove to be the right fit for the job.
Fresh graduates must prove themselves in the workplace to overcome the graduate position. Yet this can be difficult because of the competition and the required skills graduate engineers need to gain that was not taught at university, which can be difficult to grasp at first. The following section offers some guidance to help graduate engineers.
5 Steps to prove yourself as a graduate engineer
Most graduate engineers can see a gap between study and actual engineering experience. The struggle to move up from the graduate position can be difficult, especially when most feel that they are not engineers yet and feel like outsiders (Read how imposter syndrome for engineers results in a loss of passion)
The following are 5 steps to prove yourself as a new graduate:
1- Absorb the knowledge
Most of what you will be doing in your graduate program is to learn as much as possible about the company that hired you and the industry you are working in. There are two important things to realise when working as an engineer, the first is to learn to solve problems, and the second is to think innovatively.
So the most important thing to do is to become a sponge and observe as much as possible. You will get the chance to apply what you learned later. However, suppose you are in a graduate position where you rotate in different departments in your company to teach you as much as possible about the business. In that case, this is your opportunity to grasp things and learn from the best.
2- Apply what you have learned
After learning comes a chance to apply what you learned, graduate engineers think there is a secret success formula, but the truth is to try to learn and apply what you learned. Trying to impress senior engineers aimlessly usually will not get you far by trying to be a perfectionist.
Becoming a perfectionist is the enemy of progress, graduate engineers who are too fixated on trying to get things right all the time are stuck in a loop of thinking they are not good enough and are unable to progress further. Whether the truth is far from that, you are not meant to get it right, especially the first time. So always aim to do things to the best of your ability and seek feedback to improve.
3- Always get feedback as early as possible
Once you do something, you need to know how you performed at it. If you did well, you get to progress, but if you missed something, there are lessons to be learned. Not seeking feedback or not accepting someone else’s feedback—specifically constructive feedback from your senior engineers who aim to improve your skills usually becomes a setback for graduates’ progress.
It can be hard to distinguish constructive feedback from negative feedback. However, the best thing a graduate engineer can do is to be open-minded and accept negative and positive feedback because you do not have enough experience to judge someone’s feedback. Once the engineer has gained enough experience, they can shape their path and make a better judgement, but for now, it can be beneficial when the engineer listens to older engineers’ words of wisdom.
4- Reflect on what you have learned
So you observed, applied and got feedback. Now you need to discuss what you can do next time and what hidden lessons you should focus on. Let’s be honest for a second. It sounds hard to discuss how you failed at something and what you can do next time to prevent it, especially when your senior engineer showed you your mistakes a few minutes ago. You might say, what else left to think about? But if you do not have a conscious reflection, you will never move to the next step.
As discussed earlier, two things that distinguish an engineer from a graduate engineer is their ability to work independently with high effectiveness, which is obtained by making conscious steps from lessons learned. So always have that self-reflection. This will pay in the future when you encounter a similar situation.
5- Repeat with a new perspective
Experience makes us smarter. The more we do something, the better we become at it. Experience is made by practice, which is why engineers’ experience is measured by the number of years they have been in the industry. After learning, doing something, getting feedback, and reflecting, you have been through a full learning cycle; now, you can do something better than the first time.
Going through this learning cycle is essential to becoming a competent engineer. Your mission as a graduate engineer is to find the skills your industry and company require to succeed at your position and apply the above steps to. Usually, they are not difficult to find. In almost every graduate engineering position, there are 7 primary skills you should have; you can check here.
FAQ About Graduate Engineers
How to get a graduate engineering position
You need to graduate with an engineering degree and apply for graduate positions relevant to your field to get a graduate engineering position. It helps if the graduate engineer has done some internships before graduation; read: How can an engineering student stand out in internships?
Difference between graduate engineer and PE engineer
A graduate engineer is someone who has just graduated with an engineering degree. A PE stands for the professional engineer and is someone who has practised engineering for a minimum of 3-4 years and has a licence that proves their competence by taking the PE exam.
The difference between undergraduate and graduate engineers?
An undergraduate engineer is an engineering student that has not completed their course. In contrast, a graduate engineer is someone who has completed an engineering degree and has gained a certificate from an accredited university.
Can you call someone an engineer without a degree?
You can call anyone an engineer if they are self-taught and able to practice engineering. However, most engineering fields such as civil, mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering require an engineer with a theoretical background with a degree from an accredited university. This is why many self-taught engineers are not accepted as engineers.
For more, read: Can Engineering Be Self-Taught? Degree Vs Self-Taught.
Is a graduate engineer trainee a work experience?
Graduate programs are a work experience for many graduates to learn about their industry and gain the skills required to succeed as engineers.
How long does a graduate position last for?
Depending on the nature and the work, industry and the engineering field, engineering graduate positions go for 1-2 years, where engineers are expected to learn the skills required to become engineers.
Can I use “Engineer” in my title?
If you have a degree in engineering, you can use “Engineer” in your title as long as the position is relevant to engineering and your employer authorise it.
If you are a graduate, can you call yourself an engineer?
If you have a degree in engineering, you can call yourself an engineer because you have learned the knowledge required to practice engineering.
Conclusion: how to go from graduate engineer to engineer?
To move beyond the graduate position, you need to work on yourself. You are your biggest project. This is possible by not seeking validation from anyone and believing in your abilities through learning, applying what you learned, seeking feedback, reflecting and reapplying what you learned.
As the American entrepreneur Gary Vee says, true progress is usually “Micro speed macro patience”. Going from graduate to engineer is about becoming more competent and involves learning and applying what you have learned. So do not be afraid of failing at things but find the lessons learned from every experience.
