Two recent engineering graduates, Jennifer Smith (Manufacturing Operations Engineer) and Denis Hardi (Graduate Commissioning Engineer), share essential advice for students considering engineering.
They emphasise that internships are vital for discovering career preferences across diverse fields like pharma and civil engineering, making the flexibility of the degree its greatest asset.
Their key message is that curiosity and resilience matter more than loving mathematics, as engineering fundamentally relies on problem-solving.
They also stress that networking through groups like the Young Engineers Society provides crucial leadership opportunities and connections.
The graduates provided practical insights on career growth, highlighting rotational programmes as the best way to gain broad experience (quality, global roles) and understand facility operations. They advised students on navigating early career decisions and underlined the necessity of establishing work-life balance by setting boundaries.
Overall, the discussion offers an encouraging view of the modern engineering profession, stressing that the career path is highly adaptable to individual interests and goals.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Internships shape careers through pharmaceutical supply, precision engineering, civil engineering, material science hands-on experience discovering preferences.
Engineering degree flexibility enables pharmaceutical, automotive, medical device aerospace careers with curious minds shaping any industry choice.
Networking through Engineers Ireland Young Engineers Society provides leadership opportunities professional connections across counties and internationally.
STEM subjects are important but curiosity and resilience matter more than loving mathematics with problem-solving training and multiple solution approaches.
Graduate rotational programmes offer quality global roles and multiple facilities whilst a work-life balance requires setting boundaries with compensation.
GUEST DETAILS
Jennifer Smith (AbbVie): Manufacturing Operations Engineer and University of Galway graduate with a distinguished academic record. Her career shows the flexibility of an engineering degree, covering pharmaceutical manufacturing, materials, and civil engineering.
Denis Hardi (H&MV): Graduate Commissioning Engineer and TUS graduate, who has held significant leadership roles including Founder of the South East Young Engineers Society and Senior Vice President of Internal Relations for Young European Engineers. His work includes international commissioning projects in Norway and Finland.
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MORE INFORMATION
Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering?
Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/
Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.
QUOTES
Opportunities are truly limitless with an engineering degree. If you have a curious mind, you can shape your career to be any sort of industry you want. – Jennifer Smith.
I'm actually based in Finland now on site working on a substation project. I was in Norway before this. I never expected to be travelling around the world, it is a rich experience. – Denis Hardi.
Internships will really shape the way you take your career. I did internships across pharmaceutical, precision, civil, and material science. Getting internships is a great way to have a better idea of what you want to do once you finish college. – Jennifer Smith.
Internships give you rich experience showing what you study might or might not be applicable. I worked on combined heat and power, microchips, photonics research, and technical sales, giving me an idea of how it is to work on site and in the lab. – Denis Hardi.
KEYWORDS
Engineering degree, career transition, internships, problem-solving, work-life balance, networking,
professional growth,