Ways around the world for globe-trotting graduate engineers

Engineers in supervisory and management roles have long been hot property overseas because of their training and armoury of skills, but now opportunities for graduate trainees from a variety of engineering disciplines are plentiful and ripe for the picking. Opportunities to work abroad are more frequent than ever, with many organisations – large or small – having international links, either through their own overseas offices or as part of an international network or alliance. 

The current boom in work means that graduate trainees are being sent around the world earlier in their careers, so keep your passport up to date and be ready to go at the drop of a hard hat.

What working abroad offers

Being part of an international project can provide the ideal opportunity to translate academic knowledge into practical engineering experience. Working in different countries alongside engineers from other cultures gives you a completely new insight into working practices. You’ll certainly learn to use your initiative and you’ll probably be given more responsibility than you could get sitting back in the office. As an engineer starting out in your professional career you’ll definitely gain a range of skills that will count towards achieving chartered status.

Working on overseas assignments also offers you opportunities to gain new skills, such as learning a foreign language, and get involved in activities that you might never have attempted before, such as taking part in local events. It won’t be a complete holiday, as you will work hard. However, employers recognise the demands and long hours of site-based work and there is a financial benefit to working abroad.

The skills you'll need to pack

Whether you work on long-term assignments or you travel regularly to meet clients or other engineering organisations you’ll need to pack some basic skills along with your toothbrush. The ideal attributes of the engineer going abroad include independence, adaptability, flexibility, self-motivation, cultural sensitivity and the ability to build productive relationships with people at all levels.

It’s typical for engineers from engineering contractors to work with the local workforce as well as engineers from partner offices and other engineering contractor firms. Keeping an open mind to the culture and beliefs of others is essential. Gaining a basic grasp of the language helps to integrate you with the locals and opens communication.

Stay in touch with home

It’s certainly the best experience to gain early in your career when you’ll most likely have more flexibility in your personal life. Keeping up home life is one of the harder parts of assignments overseas. E-mail and much cheaper international telephone calls have made keeping in touch with loved ones and friends much easier.
You may engineer your way around the whole globe or find your niche on just one continent. Wherever you end up in the world it’s guaranteed to be an eye-opening experience.

Read on to find out about the personal experiences of working as an engineer.

Engineering business development in South East Asia

I have lived in Singapore for three years and now work in business development where I look after tendering activities. The role is extremely challenging where the time given to bid is always tight with input sought from many parties. While electronic communication has made this easier, winning the confidence of colleagues and clients takes time and you have to make the effort to understand what is expected of you and outline what you expect of others to avoid misinterpretation especially when working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. This is the only way to ensure you deliver the best proposal to the client.

Singapore is the perfect location from which to visit other places and the role has given me the opportunity to travel. Most recently I have visited Malaysia and Thailand, travelling around the regions to support our sales effort. Visiting China I experienced the dynamic atmosphere of a country that is growing rapidly and observed how the new economic growth is blending in with the old culture. I have gained a global perspective on life and have definitely progressed faster and learned more due to the opportunities working at the crossroads of South East Asia.

I speak to the folks back home every day so it never feels like I’ve been away too long, although I’m still trying to convince my grandma not to phone at 3.00 am!

Ian Beswick, senior process engineer, SembCorp Simon Carves, BEng chemical and process engineering, Newcastle University (1998)

Fabricating an oil and gass project in the Former Soviet Union

I am living and working in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, where we are fabricating structures for an oil and gas offshore project for a global petrochemicals company. The project started in 1997 and is due to finish in 2007/8, my assignment is for two years. It is my first time working overseas.

In my opinion, the major challenge is settling into a new place and adjusting to the huge cultural change. To overcome these hurdles you have to be patient and tolerant, and educate yourself to gain a deeper insight into the new society you are joining. It’s important to be positive, work hard and have the determination to use all your skills with sincerity.

My family came with me and while it was hard in the beginning, it was definitely a good decision. We have had many opportunities to mix with local families and participate in their happy occasions and we have visited almost 70 per cent of Azerbaijan. It is a country that is as rich in heritage as it is abundant with oil and gas. Azerbaijan is also called the ‘Land of Fire’ and I have seen fire coming naturally from the land at Yanardag and visited the mud volcanoes of Gubistan.

Khuram Iqbal, structural design engineer, KBR, PhD structural engineering, Cambridge University (2001)

Commissioning an LNG project in the Middle East

I worked for ten months in Damietta, Egypt, on the SEGAS LNG project where I was seconded to the commissioning team. This lump-sum turnkey project was the first natural gas liquefaction complex in the country.

A challenging part of working in Egypt was getting the local workforce to appreciate the need for working safely and using personal protection equipment. It required continuous monitoring and tutoring to ensure our company’s safety culture was adhered to. Through this experience, I found that leading by example was a good way to teach others to work in the best way.

Working on site was pretty intense and involved long hours but this was balanced by having two weeks’ vacation between each 12-week working period. My day off each week gave me time to visit Alexandria and Cairo. Furthermore the remuneration for working at site was generous: after one month I wiped out my debts and after ten I had a house deposit.

Dealing with home life is the harder part of working abroad, particularly if you have a partner or family. Regular phone calls help but it’s better if you can bring them with you to put your postcards of pyramids into a working context!

Working on site I was able to see the real scale of the project and how everything fitted and worked together. The experience of working in a different culture and the knowledge I brought back to the office has been invaluable.

Martin Aslan, senior process engineer, M.W. Kellogg Ltd, BEng chemical engineering, Nottingham University (1999)