Electronics and Computer Systems Engineering Careers
- Electronics-Related Employers
- Applications and Interviews for IT jobs
- Vacation Work (separate page)
- Destinations of Kent Graduates
- Computer Science Careers page (includes skills required for IT jobs)
- Case Study : Moving from IT into Marketing (separate page)
SKILLS YOU MAY ACQUIRE ON YOUR COURSE
One of the most valuable skills you should acquire on an electronics course is the ability to solve problems. This may be developed through project work or from an analysis of the technical knowledge inherent in the course. Your course will encourage you to think logically, to collect relevant data and make decisions. Also valued by employers are the high levels of numeracy and computer literacy. The ability to work successfully in a team is also important.
Electronics CV Example www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/electronicsCV.htm
Computing and IT Interviews www.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/ivcomputing.htm
MAIN ELECTRONICS-RELATED JOBS
A large proportion of electronics graduates entering permanent jobs after graduation go into research, design and development. Although you can get a job as a trainee research engineer with a good first degree, for those wanting a long term career in research it may be advisable to study for a doctorate as promotion within research may be hindered without one. However, many junior research staff use research as a stepping stone to other functions within the company, such as marketing, patent work and production management, and for graduates with these ambitions a postgraduate degree would not be necessary. Many of these jobs are with electronics, telecommunications and defence companies. See the section on Research and Development.
COMMUNICATIONS.
Radio, optoelectronic and microwave communication are all important here, and there are jobs with both equipment manufacturers and suppliers of services.
- UK Power Networks www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk own and operate the network of cables and power lines that bring the electricity to your door in the South East. Ken on recruiting Kent graduates.
Follow UK Power Networks Careers on Facebook! - BT www.btplc.com/Careercentre/Graduates/index.CFM have a huge research site near Ipswich
- Thales www.thalesgroup.com
- Ericsson www.ericsson.com
- Vodafone www.vodafone.co.uk/graduates
- Roke Manor Research www.roke.co.uk Research Laboratory specialising in communications
- Siemens www.siemens.co.uk
DEFENCE
- BAe Systems www.baesystems.com global aerospace and defence. A major recruiter of Kent graduates. Large site at Rochester in Kent.
- QinetiQ www.qinetiq.com formerly the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (an agency of the Ministry of Defence) - big recruiter of physicists, especially at its Malvern Laboratory
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). Farnborough, Porton Down near Salisbury, Portsdown West near Portsmouth and Sevenoaks www.dstl.gov.uk/pages/150
- Babcock www.babcock.co.uk/careers/graduates defence engineering support.
The difference between managers and engineers
A man in a hot air balloon realised he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The woman below replied, "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist.
"I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is, technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip."
The woman below responded, "You must be in Senior Management."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."
COMPUTING
A popular area for electronics graduates. Although it has been badly hit by the downturn in the American economy, there are still substantial numbers of jobs here. Employers include:
- Tessella www.tessella.co.uk developer of Scientific Software - recruits scientific programmers
- LogicaCMG www.logica.com/we-are-logica/careers recruits science graduates into computer consultancy.
- IBM www-5.ibm.com/uk
See also our computing careers page www.kent.ac.uk/careers/computersci.htm and our computing and electronics links www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitesit.htm
MEDICAL ELECTRONICS
- The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine www.ipem.ac.uk has an on-line vacancy bulletin.
- Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI) www.abhi.org.uk the trade association for medical device technology in the UK
- Siemens Medical Systems www.medical.siemens.com
- Micro Medical www.micromedical.co.uk
- Omega Laser Systems www.omegalaser.co.uk laser equipment for medical, clinical and research use.
- Afos www.afosgroup.com equipment for the medical and food industries.
- Verity Medical www.veritymedical.co.uk EMG, ECS, NMS and TENS products.
IT Recruitment Agencies
Other Links
- The Institution of Engineering and Technology, the professional body for Engineers in the UK have now launched their own job board http://engineering-jobs.theiet.org. It hosts a large number of engineering opportunities in various sectors including electronics.
- Delphi Deisel Systems http://delphi.com design, develop and manufacture high-precision electronic unit injectors and electronic unit pumps for diesel engines. Regularly recruit Kent electronics graduates to their Gillingham site.
- Cummins www.eujobs.cummins.com power generation. Have a site in Margate
- Imagination Technologies www.imgtec.com/graduates attended the electronics careers day to recruit Kent graduates. Recruit about 100 graduates a year. Develops unique, patented semiconductor intellectual property (IP) cores for multimedia and communication which are used by companies such as Apple and Intel
- University of Kent Vacancy Database www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm
- Gradcracker www.gradcracker.com careers for graduate engineers with many major companies and vacancies
- Association of Consulting Engineers www.acenet.co.uk
- Institution of Engineering and Technology www.theiet.org
- Medical Electronics Companies - search Yellow Pages www.yell.com for Medical Equipment and Medical Manufacturing
- The Engineering Council www.engc.org.uk
Destinations of Kent Electronics and Computer Systems Engineering Graduates
Destinations of Kent Computer Systems Engineering Graduates
| These statistics only cover the first six months after graduation. The latest destinations for all subjects (1999-last year) including postgraduates can be found at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/fdrbases/destinations.htm | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 |
POSTGRADUATE STUDY
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
EMPLOYMENT
|
5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Starting Work Shortly | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
STILL LOOKING for work or study 6 months after graduation |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 11 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
Electronics/Electronics & Communications - summary of Kent destinations
| These statistics only cover the first six months after graduation. The latest destinations for all subjects (1999-last year) including postgraduates can be found at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/fdrbases/destinations.htm | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 |
POSTGRADUATE STUDYMSc: MSc Broadband: Kent (11), MSc Information Security & Biometrics: Kent (2), MSc Embedded Systems & Intrumentation - Kent. MSc Computer Systems Engineering: Kent (several), MSc Electrical Engineering : Kent/Newcastle, MSc DSP and Machine Intelligence: Surrey, MSc Computer Science: Bristol, |
6 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 |
Electronics-related Employment. Systems Engineer: BAe Systems, Delphi Diesel Systems (2), |
3 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Self Employed: Director - Idium Technology Ltd, BB Services Ltd. | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| Not seeking work (e.g. travelling) | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Unknown | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
Still looking 6 months after graduating |
0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 15 | 13 | 3 | 15 | 14 |
Destinations of MSc Broadband and Mobile Communications Graduates in Recent Years
|
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Once you have read this page, visit the Careers Centre (in Keynes Driveway). You can browse in the Careers Centre as you would a library. You can ask at reception if you need help.
Bruce Woodcock - Careers Adviser for Electronics
Last fully updated 2012