The reason I started this site was to help people who want a career in engineering achieve a successful one. I recently started an engineering graduate scheme (18 months ago) after applying for hundreds. It made me question if I wanted to go into engineering but I’m happy I did. Here we will discuss how to get through the many different stages of the recruitment process. First up, CV and cover letter.
CV and Cover Letter
A CV and cover letter is a normal process for all job applications, not just an engineering graduate scheme. Therefore, it is important to update your CV as you continue in your careers. When you create your CV, you need to tailor it to the role you’re applying for. How can you do this? Make sure you include modules that are relevant to the job. For example, if you are applying for the role of a structures engineer, make it clear you have studied structures along with your previous exam results. Ideally, your CV should be no longer than two pages long. The individual responsible for reviewing them will only look at it for a few seconds. It must not be too long whilst also looking professional.
When you are reading the job description, there will be keywords throughout that you can pull out and use in your application. The best way of doing this is by looking at the desired skills. What skills do the company desire? Are their skills presented on your CV or cover letter? If your displaying the skills in your cover letter, provide an example.
Example: “From my roles, I have been presented many different situations in varying environments which has allowed me to develop my adaptability skills and treat each scenario appropriately.”
When constructing your cover letter, ensure you mention your career goals and how the company can help you achieve them. But more importantly, also mention how you can help them achieve theirs!
Psychometric Tests
The next stage of the process is psychometric tests. Normally, the score from the tests, along with your CV and cover letter, allows you to proceed to the next stage. If you do not meet the minimum score then you will not advance. In some cases, the score you get in the psychometric tests can be used at assessments centres to make tough final decisions between two candidates.
The purpose of these tests is to help identify your skills, knowledge and personality. There are two main types: personality and aptitude tests. We will only go over aptitude tests here because in personality tests there are no wrong answers. Just answer them honestly.
Aptitude Tests
My first and key piece of advice to pass aptitude tests is to PRACTISE. Nearly all aptitude tests are done online. Some employers even use the same software as each other. These tests are vital to determine if you will get onto an engineering graduate scheme.
Imagine, practising aptitude tests and doing well. Next, you get an email saying you have to complete aptitude tests as part of the next stage. You start the tests and the questions are the same, just with minor tweaks to the numbers/words. I can honestly say, from experience, that some aptitude tests are exactly the same as practise questions and that some companies use the same questions! This applies to all types of tests: diagrammatic reasoning, error checking, numerical reasoning, spatial reasoning, verbal reasoning.
Make sure you get in contact with your career services if you’re a student. They most likely will be able to provide you with a FREE subscription to psychometric testing software.
Note: Some testing softwares are: JobTestPrep, AssessmentDay, Graduates First.
Verbal Reasoning Tests
I found verbal reasoning the most difficult out the aptitude tests because I used to read through the text so quick and feel rushed, then thinking the answer has to be true or false. Again, from plenty of practice, I found that unless the paragraph directly states the information the answer is “cannot say” or “more information required”. I often felt pressured to answer true or false. My best piece of advice for verbal reasoning tests, after plenty of practice, is to go with your gut! If you feel you can determine the answer from the text, answer “cannot say”. Don’t fall for the mistakes I made and feel pressured to answer true or false.
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Related Posts: How To Get Onto An Engineering Graduate Scheme Part 2, How To Get Onto An Engineering Graduate Scheme – Part 3, What To Expect On A Engineering Graduate Scheme?