I graduated from University Of Technology in Poland with a bachelor degree in Civil Engineering. In 2018, I will graduate with master degree (I'm pretty sure) and I'm dreaming about go live abroad. Me and my girlfriend, we are thinking about Canada, Australia and UK. Because of language skills we are thinking about countries where is used english. I think, because of close distance from UK to Poland, UK would be best.
So let's cut to the chase. I will be very thankful, If you can say how does it look from UK employer perspective and what can I do in this two years to make it happen. Is employers prefer hire engineers from UK than from other european countries? I'm sure that I have to improve my language skills to make me english perfect and I'm working on it. Additionally, I'm going to attend in courses of Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Robot and gain authorized Autodesk certificates of this programs.
If you have some ideas what can I do within this two years to work as Civil Engineer in UK or you can say how does it look from UK employer perspective please respond.
Thank you a lot.
Companies in the UK are more than happy to recruit from other countries. As a fresh graduate, you'll probably have more luck in the UK than in Australia or Canada as lack of experience may mean that you aren't a viable investment for companies based there.
I'm not really fresh graduate, even these days, because I have two years experience as a assistant of civil engineer. I have studied and worked the same time for two years. So in 2018 i will be graduate with four years experience. It's little bit difficult to share time for working and studying but I can do it and i like it. I also learning new programs like Revit and Robot (I have a lot of experience and I'm well versed in AutoCAD of course).
What can I do these days to build good foundations to looking for job in UK in 2018?
What do you think, I should focus on?
Thank you for your answer.
That 4 year experience will all help, as will Revit. Robot is a bit hit-and-miss; there are no guarantees that will be the future employers FEM of choice, though these sorts of programs have enough in common that it wont be a steep learning curve to use something else. Are you working towards professional registration?
Thinking on this, I can't see you having a problem obtaining work in the UK. Canada and Australia are different animals though. For those countries, you'll need to look into whether or not your qualifications are excepted then look at work visa rules.
I'm sorry that I'm writing so late but I was busy recently. I work as a freelancer, and I make drawings of buildings which exist already (mostly old buildings). Sometimes I have to measure these buildings and make inventory survey. Sometimes I assist to specialist of structural engineer during making structural and construction expertise. I have no permanent job agreement. It's really difficult to find a job and study in the same time so this is why i work in this way. Do you think that work as a freelancer, is it problem to confirm experience in uk ?
Anyway, mostly in my work, I make drawings so I think that the best for me, it could be good to start working in UK as a Cad Technician or Design Technician and after one or two year, start looking for job as a civil engineer (maybe in the same company). Do you think that this path of career is good and possible?
Thank you a lot for your answers.
It's possible but if you go for a technician position, you'll have to be very clear at the interview stage that you wont be doing any engineering; drawing only. As soon as a company sees your BSc (or is it a BEng?) they'll start thinking "design engineer for junior cad pilot wages." Alternatively, find out if your degree is excepted here, which I'm sure it is accepted as a level 6 qualification under the EQF, and go straight for a design engineers position with an eye on achieving Chartered Engineer professional status.
I'm sory once again that i write so late. Next time a will reply sooner.
In Poland, higher education is divided into three stages: Bachelor (6 EQF level), Master (7 EQF level) and Doctor (8 EQF level). Currently I have bachelor degree but I'm going to go to UK when I will have Master degree (7 level).
I know, that my qualification will be higher than it required for position as CAD Technician but I like it. I realy like this direction where CAD goes - REVIT, ROBOT, all of these programs developed every year and I excited when I see how quickly these programs getting better and making new possibilities for making projects. But from the other site I like engineering, structural analysis, looking for solutions of engineering problems and I would like to be engineer or designer too. So I will have chose.
Can you say something how looks work like a CAD Technician and Engineer and compare this. I mean advantages and disadvantages of this two jobs in UK, perspective on work in this profession in future, possibilities to find job etc.
Sorry, I knew it was a masters; don't know what made me think it was a bachelors. Brain fart.
Technicians are always needed. Great technicians even more so. As an AutoCAD draughtsman, with or without qualification, you'll be starting on a lower pay scale than you would as an engineer. As a Revit driver, you could be starting on exactly the same pay as a junior design engineer. Unless you take an engineering position, you wont be let loose on any FEM. If you do encounter a problem or just something you think could be streamlined, you'd either have to go to hand calcs or point it out to the engineer above you. Project team times go from when the brief is handed over to the time the drawing leaves the building. Regardless of what you're doing, if you ain't drawing; you ain't working.
As an engineer you have the option of quicker career progression. Especially if you go for professional qualification with the institute of your choice. Responsibility = ££££. If you stay at technician level, your pay scale will eventually top out around £50 - £55K mark on average.
Bit busy right now so I'll have to get back to this a bit later.
Companies are hiring here on all levels of the ladder. Close your eyes and jump in. I'd be more worried about the property prices and the cost of living before finding employment.
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