Electrical & Electronic Engineering
What Next?
Electrical & Electronic
Engineering at UCC
Electrical and Electronic
Engineering applies scientific
knowledge, especially in mathematics
and physics, to develop a broad range
of technological products and services
which underpin modern society.
These services range from the
generation and distribution of electricity
to the design of next generation mobile
phones, advanced medical systems and
electronic entertainment systems, such
as game consoles and digital media
players.
What can Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Graduates offer employers?
A graduate of Electrical & Electronic Engineering in UCC will have developed
the ability to:
• Integrate the knowledge, skills and understanding of scientific and mathematical principles
and methodologies underpinning an engineering degree to achieve solutions to real
problems.
• Understand engineering principles and apply them to analyse key engineering processes.
• Understand and apply a systems approach to engineering problems.
• Investigate and define a problem and identify constraints, including health and safety and
risk assessment issues.
• Schedule and adjust each stage of a project to meet time and budget targets.
• Identify and manage cost drivers.
• Understand customer and user needs and the importance of considerations such as
aesthetics.
• Use creativity to establish innovative solutions.
• Ensure fitness of purpose for all aspects of the product, including production, operation,
maintenance and disposal.
• Manage the design process and evaluate outcomes.
(Ref: CIHE)
Electrical & Electronic Engineering What Next?
First destinations of Electrical & Electronic Engineering Graduates
Each year, UCC Career Services produces a First Destinations Report (FDR) based on an annual survey of graduates six months
after graduation. The following table represents the five-year trend regarding the destinations of Electrical & Electronic
Engineering graduates. According to this five-year trend, in 2012 more students went into employment than went on to further
study, the same applies in 2011 and 2008. The remainder were either seeking employment or were unavailable for work or study.
5-Year Trend
20082009201020112012
In Employment
54%48% 45%57%60%
In Further Study or Training
25%
48%
52%
33%
33.3%
Seeking Employment
17%
4%
3%
10%
3.3%
Not Available for Work or Study
4%
0%
0%
0%
3.3%
Who employs Electrical & Electronic Engineering Graduates?
Graduates who progressed directly to employment have taken up variety of roles. The following table provides a sample
of jobs and employers listed in FDR surveys returned to UCC Career Services over the past five years:
Employer
Role
Employer
Neodyne Ltd.,Cork
Neodyne Ltd., Cork
Neodyne Ltd., Cork
Kent Engineering, Dubai
Zetec, UK
Siemens, UK
Analog Devices, Limerick
Analog Devices, Limerick
Intech Suir Waterford
Tyndall National Institute, UCC
Hydraulics Maritime Research
Centre, UCC
Microsoft, Dublin
GenCell Biosystems, Limerick
Automation Engineer
Business Development Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Engineer
Engineer
Graduate Engineer
Product Applications Engineer
Evaluation Engineer
Quality Control Engineer
Research Assistant
EMC, Cork
EMC, Cork
Sylon Patrol, Dublin
ARUP, Cork
Abbey Moulding Contractors
ltd., Limerick
Eirgrid, Dublin
ESB International, Dublin
ESB International, Dublin
Sepam, Tipperary
UK Power Network, Essex
Accenture, Dublin
Telecom Eireann
Research Engineer
Service Engineer
Software Developer
Role
Third Party Evaluation Engineer
Software Quality Engineer
Technical Support Engineer
Electrical Design Engineer
Eletrical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Substation Design Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Energy Engineer
IT Consultant
Engineer
What Postgraduate courses do Electrical & Electronic Engineering Graduates Choose ?
Of those who progress directly to postgraduate study, some choose postgraduate courses related directly to engineering and
some choose to move to an alternative field that builds on their existing qualification. The following list provides a sample of
the postgraduate courses closely related to engineering that were listed by Electrical & Electronic Engineering graduates on
FDR surveys returned to the Career Services:
Course Title
Institution
MEngSc (Civil Engineering)
MEngSc (Microelectronic Design)
PhD (Engineering)
Postgraduate Diploma in Microelectronic Design
MEngSc (Electrical Engineering & Microelectronics)
MEngSc (Mechanical Engineering)
MEngSc (Manufacturing Process & Automation Systems)
MEngSc (Microelectronics)
MEngSc (Sustainable Energy)
MEngSc (Information Technology in
Architecture Engineering & Construction)
MSc Machine Learning PhD (Electrical Engineering)
University College Cork
University College Cork
University College Cork
University College Cork
University College Cork
University College Cork
University College Cork
University College Cork
University College Cork
University College Cork
University Abroad
University Abroad
Others chose courses that “convert” their degree to a new area which makes good use of their existing knowledge and skills.
The next list provides a sample of the postgraduate “conversion” courses that were listed by Electrical & Electronic Engineering
graduates on FDR surveys returned to the Career Services:
Course Title
Institution
Higher Diploma Accounting & Corporate Finance
MSc (Project Management)
MSc Applied Science (Mathematical Modelling & Scientific Computing)
Higher Diploma in Applied Computing Technology
MSc (Financial Economics (Investment Banking & Risk Management)
Programmable Logic Controllers Course Higher Diploma in Statistics
MBS(Management & Marketing)
University College Cork
University College Dublin
University College Cork
University College Cork
University College Cork
Other Irish Institutions
University College Cork
University College Cork
BE (Hons) Electrical &
Electronic Engineering UCC
BE (Hons) Electrical &
Electronic Engineering UCC
MEng Electrical Engineering
& Microelectronics, UCC
Mixed Signal Integrated Circuit
Designer, Analog Devices,
Limerick
Graduate Programme
Accenture
IT Consultant
Accenture
Long Term Prospects for Electrical And Electronic Engineering
graduates
Career opportunities for engineers are many and varied. While most engineers choose, at least initially, to work in an area closely related to
their primary degree, many branch out into other areas such as Information Technology, Computers, Finance, Accountancy and Education.
This is due to the broad nature of an engineering degree, which provides graduates with skills such as numeracy, problem-solving and IT,
which are essential to many employers.
A degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering prepares a graduate to work in the vast range of engineering sectors, including aerospace,
automotive, energy, information technology and telecommunications. Electrical & electronics engineers are employed in a wide range
of industry sectors. These may be multinational, multifaceted companies covering a wide range of industries or small to medium-sized
specialist enterprises. They include:
• transport organisations, including road and rail networks;
• manufacturing and industrial production organisations across a wide range of products;
• the construction and building services industry;
• specialist engineering and consultancy firms;
• telecommunications companies;
• petrochemical industries in production and distribution;
• the electrical and electronics industry, including robotics, digital technology, automotive telecommunications, electronics
consultancies and electronic equipment manufacturers;
• other engineering industries, such as aerospace, energy, chemical and marine;
• non-electrical organisations, e.g. helping to implement and maintain computer systems, telecommunications and other technical
equipment;
• software and service companies;
• utility companies;
• industrial research and development labs, both academic and commercial;
• the public sector, including the Civil Service, local authorities, hospitals and educational institutions;
• the UK Ministry of Defence (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence) and the Engineering and Science
Group (DESG) (https://www.gov.uk/defence-engineering-and-science-group)
A number of large employers such as BT, Vodafone, Siemens, Sony, Philips, Thales and BAE Systems recruit regularly and often provide
opportunities for working abroad. Employment can also be found with the many small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland and
the UK. (Ref:www.prospects.ac.uk).
Graduates have also found employment in:
• computing (from specialist engineering to general software design & development);
• management consulting (e.g. general management consulting, IT, financial services sector);
• public sector (e.g. county councils, city corporations, planning authorities, EPA);
• semi-state bodies (e.g. ESB, ESBI, CIE, Bórd naMóna, Aer Lingus) (Ref: UCC FOE).
A report by Engineers Ireland in 2011 predicted that the number of engineering graduates entering the workforce each year needs to
grow by 7% annually up to 2020. New initiatives designed to boost research and innovation mean that an engineering degree could set
graduates on course for an exciting career in this sector in Ireland. Despite the difficult economic climate, thanks to Ireland’s shift towards
R&D, technological development and the green economy, there is an increasing demand for engineers.
The globalised nature of the engineering profession requires the supply of professional engineering talent in all government and
industrial sectors across the globe. Engineers Ireland is a signatory to both the Washington Accord and the Sydney Accord, which means
that accredited engineering programmes are recognised internationally by other signatories. These include Australia, Canada, Hong
Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the USA and the UK. Chartered membership of Engineers Ireland is sometimes a
requirement in some countries. (Ref: https://www.engineersireland.ie/membership/international-agreements.aspx)
Electrical & Electronic Engineering What Next?
Graduate Profiles
Where can I find out more?
Association
Website
Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers http://www.ieee.org/index.html
IEEE UK & Irl. Section
http://ieee-ukri.org/
Association for Consultancy and Engineering
www.acenet.co.uk
Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland
http://www.acei.ie
British Plastics Federation
http://www.bpf.co.uk
Construction Industry Federation
http://www.cif.ie
Engineering Council UK
http://www.engc.org.uk
Engineers Ireland http://www.engineersireland.ie
Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.ie
Environmental Research Institute
http://www.ucc.ie/en/eri/
Association of Building Engineers www.abe.org.uk
Chartered Institute of Building (includes a careers section)
www.ciob.org.uk
Chartered Institute of Housing www.cih.org
Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
(includes a careers section) www.cibse.org
Engineering Council www.engc.org.uk
Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
(includes an industry and careers section) www.ecitb.org.uk
Informatics Research Unit for Sustainable Engineering
http://www.iruse.ie/
Institution of Engineering and Technology http://www.theiet.org
Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers www.ihie.org.uk
RenewableUKhttp://www.bwea.com
Royal Town Planning Institute (includes a careers section) www.rtpi.org.uk
Sustainable Energy Research Group (SERG)
http://www.ucc.ie/en/serg/
LinkedIn
http://ie.linkedin.com/title/electrical+engineer/in-ie-0-Ireland/
8 ways to put your degree to work
Employers want graduates with a three-dimensional CV, who are able to demonstrate a healthy balance during their college years between study,
work and extra-curricular interests. CVs should provide evidence of maturity, life skills and active citizenship to inform a future employer that they
will be taking on a sociable, committed and reliable colleague.
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Get involved in running the Students’ Union or a club/society that interests you.
Gain relevant paid/voluntary work experience during holidays or free days.
Sign up for training courses that will strengthen your skill set, e.g. languages, ECDL.
Set up a LinkedIn profile and start building your network.
Go to the UCC Career Services for careers advice and assistance with regard to CV
and interview preparation, job search strategies, and postgraduate options.
Attend careers events organised on campus and advertised on www.ucc.ie/careers
Use careers events to initiate relationships with potential employers.
Check job vacancies regularly on www.ucc.ie/careers and www.gradireland.com
Did you know?
Engineers have a natural curiosity
about how the world works, enjoy
solving problems, and are creative
and inventive people.
While this resource provides you with an overview of the career options available with your degree, each person carves
their own career path based on their personal values and interests. Your college years are an ideal time to explore career
options while gaining new experience and learning new skills. Why not speak to a careers adviser to help you get
started?
As a student of UCC, you are entitled to book a free personal consultation with a careers adviser at UCC Career
Services. You can return as many times as needed because we understand that it makes sense to begin planning your
career from first year onwards – don’t wait until final year! We look forward to meeting you, no matter what your
year of study. For your convenience, we now have a web-based booking system. Book your appointment online via
our website – www.ucc.ie/careers - in the Meet an Advisor section.