Graduate Engineer Responsibilities

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A graduate engineer is a person who has just received his/her degree in engineering. You are generally considered a graduate engineer till you complete at least three years on the job. A graduate engineer is not the same as a licensed engineer and cannot consult or work independently.

The field of engineering has a large number of branches. Some of the most popular ones are mechanical, civil, industrial, electrical, software and chemical. There are also other branches such as oceanic, nuclear, aerospace, environmental, biomedical, etc.

Key Graduate Engineer Responsibilities

• The job of an engineer can include product design, data analysis, product testing, failure analysis, manufacture process designing, etc.
• Make computer models
• Create simulations of the product or project being made
• Perform data analysis on the data gathered from the production systems
• Collect data on the current work sites or production lines
• Drafting work is assigned to graduate civil engineers and is usually supervised by a senior engineer
• Graduate civil engineers may assist in the survey of the construction site
• Graduate aerospace engineers have to set up the flight simulators and the equipment in the flight simulation labs
• A graduate engineer has to monitor the expenses and ensure that they stay within the budget
• Prepare progress reports for the management and client to review
• Make a note of any potential problems or discrepancies that can cause delays or legal action later on
• Conduct site inspections and ensure that the work is progressing according to schedule
• Submit invoices of purchases to the manager for approval
• Prepare the project plan and design sheet and check the project specifications with the project manager
• Graduate civil engineers may be asked to execute time studies and process mapping

Essential Skills and Abilities

• The most obvious skill an engineer should possess is being good at math and science
• Engineers should also have good communication skills
• Good team-work skills
• Engineers are people who are very detail-oriented and have an analytical mind
• Knowledge of the current technologies, software and programs required for the job
• Engineers should also be creative and imaginative
• Problem-solving skill is essential along with the ability to learn quickly
• Enthusiasm, flexibility, accuracy and adaptability are the other important abilities an engineer should have
• Commercial awareness
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• An engineer has to work under deadlines. Working efficiently and the ability to cope with pressure are skills that will prove useful
• Project management, a strong base in numerical skills, technology and problem-solving are valuable skills of an engineer

Educational Background

• The basic educational qualification required for an engineer is an engineering degree from a good college
• While some employers hire graduates with a bachelor's degree, a few may require people who have a master's degree
• You need two years of work experience before getting a master's degree
• What may come as a surprise to you is that not all those who work as engineers have an engineering degree. Graduates with science or math degrees can also work as engineers. Some employers also recruit physicists and material science graduates for some positions
• To get into a good engineering program, you will need good GCSEs, including some science subjects and math too
• Also a minimum of two A levels including math and science (preferably physics) is another important requirement
• Most university programs require a student to complete one year of trigonometry and two years of algebra along with a year of chemistry as well as physics in high school
• To become a licensed or professional engineer, you will also need to give the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. This exam is especially important for civil, mechanical, industrial and environmental engineers

Salary Details

• The pay scale of engineers shows tremendous variation
• Your qualifications, experience and the position you are applying for play an important role in deciding your salary
• The other factors that influence the salary are the geographical location of the job, the field of engineering you are in, the sector you are working in,etc.
• Engineers who are just fresh out of college can expect a starting package of around $40,000 or more. The top students can be offered a starting salary of as much as $90,000
• On an average, engineers working in the private sector or with the government have the fattest pay packets

Career Prospects

• Perhaps few fields can offer as wide a variety in career choices as engineering
• The career prospects for engineers are always good
• You can choose to work right after you finish your degree or opt for higher education like a master's or doctorate degree
• Depending on your engineering degree, you can work in fields like military, consulting, hospitals, construction, nuclear plants, transportation, power generation, environmental, electronics, aerospace, chemical, pharmaceutical, petroleum industry, management, teaching and many more
• Having an engineering degree does not mean you have to work only in the engineering field. Engineers are also recruited by companies in other sectors like IT, finance, consultancy, etc.
• Even within an engineering company, you can work in different areas like supply chain management, logistics, technical sales, operations management, etc.
• Many engineers also choose to get business management degrees like an MBA and work their way up the management ladder. A lot of CEOs started out as engineers

An engineer has an array of choices in front of him as the field of engineering is vast and diverse. The graduate engineer responsibilities are many and depend on the field the engineer works in. Ensure that you complete your engineering course only from a good college and you will have the world at your feet.