Career lift-off: travel opportunities for graduate engineers

Whether you go off the beaten track in Azerbaijan, consult with business bigwigs in Cologne or jump on the M6 to solve a problem in Bolton, as an engineer you have the opportunity to work anywhere in the world. Many large engineering organisations require graduates to be mobile, which can mean upping and leaving your area of the country, or heading for foreign climes.

If you’ve already caught the travel bug an engineering role that requires mobility could suit you perfectly.

Being mobile is not the same as applying for time abroad. You will be expected to travel or move abroad in line with your employer's needs, rather than between dates you choose. This is a big commitment on your part, but if you feel able to make it you will benefit from rewards such as faster career progression and a higher salary.

Reasons to be mobile 1, 2, 3

1. Engineering organisations increasingly operate in global markets and have global clients; many larger employers have a number of facilities and offices UK and worldwide. That’s why they want engineers who can go places. From a company standpoint, the benefit of having a mobile engineer means that the right skills can be sent to the right places. Having skilled people who can be flexible and adaptable means that it is much easier to fulfil business needs.

2. From a personal viewpoint, if you’ve already caught the travel bug (and we don’t mean Delhi-belly) an engineering role that requires mobility could suit you perfectly. Not only will you be able to use your engineering skills and do a job you enjoy, you will also have the chance to see and experience different ways of doing things and build up a wide network of colleagues, friends and future contacts.

3. Very often roles that require more mobility and working overseas will put you in positions of greater responsibility much earlier in your career.

Pick up career souvenirs on your travels

Those who travel with their job have the opportunity to pick up more than just exotic objets d’art for their folks at home. You will gain new skills at a much faster rate: cultural awareness, effective communication, the ability to work effectively under time constraints, adaptability, resilience… the list goes on.

Engineers who have travelled are likely to develop quicker through the experiences they have had. You are more likely to see the bigger picture, have exposure to different ways of working and then be able to share best practice ideas.

Skills and attitudes to pack for a mobile engineering career

If you are considering your roving career options you need to adapt well to new surroundings and be confident in meeting new groups of people. A job with mobility often impinges on your home and social life and you will need to be self-reliant, flexible and change-orientated.

Mobility isn’t necessarily glamorous. The majority of roles that require mobility will be based in the UK and moving from Belfast to Birmingham is not really taking the road less travelled. Even if your job does take you to far-flung destinations the realities of living out of a suitcase or being away from home for months are not for everyone. However, being open to mobility early in your career allows you to test and stretch your capabilities, and can open up a whole new world of engineering opportunities for you. Explore your options carefully and work out how mobile you want to be.

Profiles of graduate engineers with jobs overseas

• Natalie Davies, project services engineer, the Netherlands
• Divya Chandramohan, site continuous improvement leader, China
• Chris Jennions, construction engineer, Panama