Build experience

Building experience can be everything from being a student rep to part-time work, volunteering in the community to being a School ambassador, informal summer work to doing an internship.  Previous experience may include an unrelated job, family commitments, MEng placements, employer visits, work shadowing, virtual internships… it all counts.     

“All work experience is valuable... Any part time jobs, volunteering, and/or team activities are going to help build your CV and give you interesting examples during an interview. As a recruiter, I am looking for a well-rounded individual who can recognise the value that having difference experiences can teach you.”

Sophie Willmott Senior Early Careers Talent Acquisition Advisor, Mott MacDonald

Getting started: quick wins

The Careers Service website includes some great information to help you get started building experience.  The Student Guide has suggestions of 'quick wins' - activities that you can do in a few minutes - to help you begin the process.

Part-time and vacation jobs

The Careers Service advertises hundreds of part-time and vacation jobs each year, just for Edinburgh students. For information on part-time and vacation work, where to look and further advice on combining part-time work with your studies (and your rights at work), visit the Careers Service web pages on part-time and vacation jobs.

Volunteering

Edinburgh students have gained fantastic experience, developed a range of skills and had fun through volunteering. Employers place a great value on the skills that volunteering can enhance. To learn more about volunteering and find opportunities, see:

Student societies & sports clubs

Edinburgh benefits from 280+ student societies and almost 70 sports clubs and intramural leagues. Becoming actively involved can help you build your skills (e.g. teamwork, organisation, leadership, budgeting, presenting, initiative...), follow your interests and meet new people.  Examples connected to Engineering include:

Many student societies have a specific link to skills and future careers, for example: AIESEC (leadership & transferable skills), EUTIC (finance & investments), EUYSRA (research), Fresh Sight (consulting), Student Enterprise (business), Women in STEM. In particular there are a number of engineering-related student societies including:

For a full list of societies, check out: https://eusa.ed.ac.uk/activities/list

Peer support & student representation

Getting involved in university life can be a great way to develop your skills by learning to manage your time to fit things in, as well as learning to communicate effectively and work with a range of people - whether through teaching and explaining, or representing views on committees.  There are many opportunities to get involved . Find out more here.

Roya Academy of Engineering (RAE) Engineering Leaders Scholarship

The Engineering Leaders Scholarships (ELS) programme aims to provide support for undergraduates in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEI) who have the potential to become leaders in engineering and who are able to act as role models for future engineers.  These scholarships help ambitious and inspiring undergraduates in engineering and related disciplines, who want to become leadership role models for the next generation of engineers, to undertake an accelerated personal development programme.  Recipients will get the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to fulfil their potential, helping them to move into engineering leadership positions in UK industry soon after graduation.  All Scholars receive £5,000 to be used over three years towards  personal career development activities.

Edinburgh students have consistently been Scholarship recipients over the last seven years, so it is well-worth giving it a try . Watch out for information sessions in November/December, run jointly by The Careers Service and current student scholars. Find out more here.

Internships

Internships offer more structured/formal summer experience and can be a great way to test out a career idea and can lead on to other opportunities. Find out more here.

MEng Placements

In the Chemical, E&E and Mechanical disciplines, the MEng degree offers the opportunity for a 6-month industrial placement which can offer fantastic experience. Find out more here.

In more depth: Toolkits

Our Building Experience Toolkit give you the opportunity to think about about, reflect and learn about your skills, values and strengths in more detail. It covers:

  • Why experience matters and how you can build experience as you go through your studies
  • Different types of experience including internships, volunteering and work shadowing
  • Different ways of finding experience
  • How to reflect on experiences you've had

You can work through the Toolkit at your own pace, either systematically from start to finish or dipping into aspects which you feel are most relevant to you . Find out more about using the Toolkits via this 7-minute 'Top Tips' video.

Access the Toolkit via MyEd > LEARN > Self-enrol Courses > (search for) Careers Service Toolkits  

There are some great examples of how you might develop/learn some new skills on the Employ.Eng website and I would echo some of points already made here - great!  An employer is very often looking to meet people who have some well-rounded experience. Any experience gained can be useful.  Where it comes to life is the way you then add this information to your CV, or talk about it at interview.  Prior to going through the selection process spend some time thinking about what you've done and then the skills you needed to develop or demonstrate.  For example, did you come up with new ideas, design a new way of doing something which made improvements or saved money?  This would come under 'creative thinking or innovation'.  Of course this is only one 'competency' and there are many more but it's a starting point. In the experience you've had, what did you really enjoy doing, get motivated by and therefore work hard at?  Was it working with people, doing analysis, planning & organising etc?  Try to think about what you enjoy before applying for roles. As an employer I'm keen to hear about your experience, what you enjoy doing and then why you'd be interested in working for my organisation.

Jillian Burton Former Graduate Programme Manager, Frazer-Nash Consultancy and Lloyds Register

Careers Compass: Build Experience section highlighted
Careers Compass: Build experience