Mechanical Engineering
Possible Career Opportunities / Specialisms
Mechanical
Engineer
Patent Work
Quality Control
Engineer
Maintenance
Engineer
Software
Engineer
Manufacturing
Engineer
Design Engineer
Research
Engineer
Production
Engineer
Hardware
Engineer
Biomedical
Engineer
Systems Design
Engineering
Manager
Process Engineer
Some jobs advertised recently that may suit students /
graduates (these jobs are not currently available and are
shown here for illustration purposes only):
Project Engineer
Graduate Stress Engineer(s), BASE Ltd. Essential
Criteria: Engineering Honours Degree in Mechanical or
Aeronautical Engineering. Preliminary experience of
engineering software (eg Nastran & Patran). Excellent IT
skills. Awareness of good engineering practice.
Experience / evidence of working within a team and
supporting others. Interpersonal skills that show effective
communication with others. Willingness to travel to meet
the needs of the business.
Note: This list is a sample representation of positions available.
Y our acquired skills and the employment market
During your studies you have developed skills in many
areas that are sought after by employers:










Sample Job Advertisements
Ability to work with technical terms
Analytical thinking skills
Communication skills
Computer literacy
Capacity for detail
Creativity
Numeracy
Team work
Project management
Research skills
In general, Mechanical Engineers plan, research, design
and develop, install, operate and maintain machinery.
They conduct research to solve practical engineering
problems and improve efficiency.
Graduate positions may consist of some or all of these
elements. Many industries employ Mechanical
Engineering graduates and value the skills gained during
your course and include:
Aerospace
Automotive
Transportation
Computer and electronic manufacture
Machine and plant design
Medical Device Design and Manufacture
Engine design
Contracting and consultancy firms
Universities
Civil Service
Local government
Kingspan Group Graduate Management Development
Programme. Applications sought from a variety of
disciplines including Mechanical.
Graduate Development Programme, Technip UK.
During their two years on the programme, Engineering
Graduates will be exposed to a variety of departments and
will become a key part of the team with an important part
to play in the delivery of a wide range of projects across
the UK business. Graduate Engineering opportunities are
available in: Offshore Engineering Division (OED) /
Technip Marine Operations Services (T-MOS) / Marine
New Builds / UK Business Unit (UKBU).
Hydraulic Analyst, Flowcav Ltd. Requirements:
Bachelors or Masters Degree in MechanicalEngineering.
Experience with engineering analytical tools, liquid
and/or gas analysis. Detailed understanding of hydraulic
theory and computational fluids. Ability to create new
design and optimize new components based on analysis
results. Understanding of engine technology. Demonstrate
a strong interest in fluid mechanics.
Deciding on your Career
Choosing a career involves more than just finding out
what is open to you. Knowledge about yourself is vital to
the process. It is valuable to start by looking at your
strengths, weaknesses, interests, abilities and skills in
order to relate career options to you.
There are also resources available on our website for help
deciding ‘what next?’ including Psychometric Tests at:
www.nuigalway.ie/careers/students/careerinfo.html .
Further study opportunities
Resources in the Careers Information Room
For certain career choices, employers may look for
candidates with further qualifications and training.
The Career Development Centre has valuable information
resources, experienced career development advisers and
information staff on hand to help you with your queries.
Some of the courses chosen by Biomedical graduates in
the past at NUI Galway were:
 Master Of Information Technology
 Structured Ph.D (Engineering)
 MSc Software Design & Development
 Masters of Applied Science (Enterprise Systems)
 Higher Diploma in Economic Science
 Higher Diploma In Business Studies
See www.nuigalway.ie/courses for the full range of
programmes available.
Other courses that graduates have taken include:
 Master of Subsea Engineering, Cranfield University
 MSc in Carbon Capture and Storage, Edinburgh
 PhD, TCD
 Higher Diploma in Statistics, UCC
www.nuigalway.ie/careers has sections on studying in
Ireland and studying abroad with useful links for many
countries worldwide.
The website www.postgradireland.com also contains
useful information on postgraduate courses in Ireland,
www.prospects.ac.uk
is useful for researching
opportunities in the UK and http://ec.europa.eu/ploteus/
covers the EU.
What past graduates have done
It is always interesting to know what fellow graduates
have done after obtaining their degree at NUI Galway.
This has recently been taken from First Destination
Statistics.


















Mechanical Engineer, MCS Kenny, Galway
Mechanical Engineer-Graduate Programme,
Creganna, Galway
Mechanical Engineer-Robotics, Nashville (USA)
R&D Engineer, Tyco, Shannon
Mechanical Engineer, DePuy, Cork
Engineer, Kentz, Saudi Arabia
R&D Engineer, Medtronic, Galway
Project Engineer-Testing Lab, CTL, Galway
Process Engineer, Proctor & Gamble, Tipperary
Engineer, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan
Engineer, Fort Wayne Metals, Castlebar
Management of Composites Testing Programs,
Aerospace Materials Testing
Product Design Engineer, Cameron Ireland
Manufacturing Engineer, Stryker, Cork
Graduate Project Engineer onshore/offshore, Technip
UK subsea engineering Aberdeen
Energy Conservation Engineer, Casey Technology
Kilkenny
Engineer, MCS
Graduate Programme, Siemens Energy, England
Reference material in the Information Room includes:
 Engineering as a Career [book]
 Occupational Folder – Engineering
We also have a range of titles to reference on taking
psychometric tests, going for interview, writing a CV or
personal statement… and much more.
Drop into our information room and we will be happy to
assist you – there’s no need to book an appointment to
browse through our resources.
Be sure and pick up our free booklets ‘Your CV’ and
‘Interview Skills’.
Useful websites
We have found that the following websites contain
relevant and interesting information on opportunities with
a degree in Engineering.


www.nuigalway.ie/careers
www.nuigalway.ie/mecheng/


www.engineersireland.ie
www.gradireland.com

www.prospects.ac.uk/options_mechanical_engineering.htm




www.mechanicalengineer.com
www.engcen.com/
www.engineerjobs.com/Mechanical_jobs.html
www.asme.org

www.cicic.ca/professions/2132en.asp


www.graduatingengineer.com/
www.ieaust.org.au