Graduate Automotive Engineering Jobs

Leading graduate employers

Helping you find a career in the automotive engineering industry

The UK automotive sector contributes over £20 billion to the economy each year.

Engineering and Design plays a critical role in the automotive sector. It involves designing new vehicles and modifying existing ones. The Automotive sector in the UK is currently going through a period of innovation due to the introduction of electric cars.

Most graduate employers within the automotive industry are large multinational companies. There are a range of independent automotive design consultancies, component manufacturers (e.g. electrical parts or tyres), laboratory testing companies and oil firms.

Automotive Engineers tend to specialise in one of three areas:

Research & Development (R&D): working to identify properties of different materials
Design: designing and developing prototypes for new vehicles or components
Production: manufacturing vehicles and components

Engineers spend their time in a mixture of laboratory, office and factory sites.

Roles usually require a mixture of technical (e.g. mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, thermodynamic or pneumatic) and commercial skills, the latter including working within budgets and closely within multi-disciplinary project teams.

N Written by Navdeep

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FAQs

FAQs

Which skills are needed for a career in automotive engineering

The Automotive industry, can be a competitive industry given the popularity of certain brands. It helps to have a genuine passion for the industry. It's also handy to keep up with technological and market developments.

As an Automotive Engineer, you'll need strong numeracy and technical skills, especially when working with Computer Assisted Design (CAD) programs used in Design and Production.

What career routes are available to graduates in the automotive engineering sector?

Larger Automotive businesses normally offer graduate training programmes in engineering. They typically last 2 years and allow graduate engineers to gain experience across different stages of the engineering process.

Smaller employers may not offer the same level of structured training but will allow you to be hands-on and to take on greater responsibilities sooner.

Most graduate engineers will be supported to achieve Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng) status (internationally-recognised qualifications awarded by the Engineering Council) which can be crucial for progressing in the industry.

An IEng qualification will give you skills geared towards day-to-day supervision of Production processes, while a CEng will equip you for strategic planning and R&D.

How can I get into the field?

Book a meeting with your Careers Advisor to discuss your interest in working in the Automotive sector.

Many universities offer an industrial placement year with an employer. This can be a great way to gain crucial experience. It can also lead to a permanent role at the end of your degree.

How much can graduates earn in the automotive engineering industry?

Graduate engineers in the Automotive sector will typically earn between £20,000 and £29,000 per annum. Larger companies usually offer salaries at the higher end of this bracket, and quite often offer attractive bonuses and benefits packages on top.

Once you've completed your training, salaries will usually fall between £30,000 and £45,000 per annum, depending on your technical skills and experience.

At more senior levels, particularly once you've achieved IEng or CEng status, salaries can be over £60,000 per annum.

What qualifications do I need for a career in automotive engineering?

Most employers will want you to have an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (automotive / mechanical / electrical / production / manufacturing engineering). It's useful to check whether your degree is Accredited by the Engineering Council as this can be a requirement for certain employers.

While postgraduate qualifications are not often specified, they can give you a significant advantage in finding a graduate job when combined with practical experience.

Automotive engineering industry bodies

http://www.imeche.org/
https://www.engc.org.uk/
https://www.smmt.co.uk/
https://www.automotivecouncil.co.uk/
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/