Engineering - still the 'hot' sector?

Engineering is undoubtedly a huge sector in Malaysia. However, is the sector large enough to cater to all the engineering graduates being churned out each year? How big is the sector compared to other big ones such as IT and finance? Institution of Engineers Malaysia Pro Engineering Technology Innovation Bureau chairman Engr. Rocky Wong tells us more.

Engineering covers a big scope of work, normally varying through the different levels of qualifications. For example, Wong said, 'a person with a degree in engineering is qualified to get into engineering technology innovation, while a person with an engineering diploma could do a technician's work.'

Other career paths also include teaching engineering subjects or branching into other sectors. Engineering students should not need to worry about moving elsewhere because according to Wong, engineering as a first degree provides students with a solid foundation.

Outlook and career prospects

'We still see bright prospects for the engineering sector, because Malaysia still needs engineers. However, like most sectors, the outlook on the sector is tagged to the Malaysian general economy, which is in turn linked to the global economy,' Wong noted.

He said economies go through 'boom and bust' periods and hence, so does the sector.

This 67-year-old veteran engineer said there are certain misconceptions about careers and jobs in the engineering sector. He commented: 'During the late 90s, especially during the KL Commonwealth Games period, the property sector was going through a boom. Right now, it is okay, but perhaps not as gung-ho as it was then.'

He said engineers always like to tell stories of how they built something, like a tower or an expressway, but they normally did not realise that a new building could create maintenance jobs for engineers for many years to come.

'Therefore there is no worry that the engineering sector is not huge enough to cater for jobs. It all depends on what kind of engineering you are willing to go into. Maintenance is not glamorous and sometimes people don't like that,' Wong said.

He also advised graduating engineers to be adaptable, because getting an engineering job would mean looking outside of Malaysia too.

Various forms of engineering

Wong added that jobs and career opportunities abound for all the various kinds of engineering. 'For example, for electrical & electronic engineering graduates, we know that each new building we build, you will need power supply, so jobs are readily available. There is also no shortage of work for chemical or mechanical engineering students because their soft skills are needed everywhere,' he said.

Engineering graduates can also find jobs in three main fields related to the sector - as engineering practitioners, as technical mandarins or regulators, or as educators if their interest lies in teaching, Wong said.

However, to be specialised in one particular field, young graduates might need to further their studies in a particular area of engineering.

What are the qualities that employers look for?

Understandably, Wong said throughout his career he has interviewed countless fresh graduates, but the quality that he most appreciated was leadership skills.

'We need to realize that engineering is something nobody can do alone. Hence, leadership skills are vital here. We always need people to take charge, motivate, coach and orchestrate proceedings of any project at any tier,' he said.

Secondly, an important but somewhat surprising quality that he looked for is a love for the environment. Wong said this is important because engineers' work constantly affect the environment directly, so how an engineer deals with the environment reflects hugely on his personality.

Career challenges and interview advice

In every career, there will be challenges, and Wong noted that for engineering, the main challenges could come in the form of handling money. He said: 'Engineers with projects could sometimes be given huge sums of money to be budgeted for their work. They need to be strong to be able to handle this money temptation and learn to work within a budget. '

Aside from that, Wong said of course there would the issue of taking care of the environment, as well as learning to work with different types of people with varying strengths and weaknesses.

'Since I have interviewed many graduates in the past, I believe the best trait to impress an interviewer is just be honest about who you are, then you will show natural confidence. Besides that, you should show your prospective employers that you are humble enough to learn. You need to how to be a good "receiver". Being confident does not mean you should be arrogant,' he advised.

Other important characteristics include a willingness to improve your communication skills as well as having a sense of direction about where you intend to move to in your career and life, this experienced veteran counseled.

Views from E&E engineering

Dato' Dr Engr Chuah Hean-Teik, a professor from the Multimedia University, and the Deputy President of IEM echoed the optimism of Wong with regards to the electrical and electronic engineering sector, saying that he believes the career prospects are good and there are 'no worries'. He said E&E engineers are able to apply their skills across many different industries.

'Also, the engineering education is such that the graduates are trained to have analytical minds, solving problems based on fundamental laws of nature in a systematic way. Therefore these graduates can also choose to delve into other sectors such as finance, banking or management,' Chuah said. He concurred with Wong that fresh graduate engineers could also choose to venture overseas for more job opportunities, particularly in other parts of Asean or China.

As a course, Chuah said E&E engineering, and engineering as a whole, has never failed to be popular among graduates. He added that IT, in a broader sense, is a form of applied engineering. 'At the MMU, in fact, there has been a demand increase for engineering courses in the last five years,' Chuah revealed.

To become an E&E engineer, the professor said graduates and students would need the ability to understand the fundamentals of engineering sciences, physics as well as mathematics and to apply them in solving practical problems. They would also need to have the ability to understand the environmental issues, sustainable development, and finding solutions in the most cost-effective manner, possess good soft skills such as communication and presentation skills, and be multi-skilled in other areas such as management, accounting, as well as some knowledge about legal system.

Graduates who are keen to secure a job with an engineering firm, Chuah said, would do well by demonstrating courtesy and punctuality, as well as a willingness to learn . Good language skill is a big help too.

Views from chemical engineering

Meanwhile, chemical engineer Dr Engr Ramlee Karim said chemical engineering continues to maintain a 'high profile' and he is not concerned with its job prospects, saying it remains good.

'There is no oversupply of chemical engineers because the petrochemical and oil & gas industries require plenty of chemical as well as other types of engineers. Chemical engineers readily get absorbed in the chemical industry, oil and gas, energy, power, water and wastewater, food, pharmaceuticals and biotechnological industries,' said Ramlee.

According to him, engineering remains one of the top choices among technical courses, just behind medicine and dentistry.

Ramlee also gave some insight about how chemical engineers typically start out: 'Early on in his career a chemical engineer may have to adapt to foreign places and remote areas like off-shore where his project and operating assignments may bring him to, and may also need to work on shifts. He needs to master the soft skills and other non-technical competencies for senior management positions - subjects which were treated as less important during his student days.'

What wise words did he have for any young engineering graduate who intends to secure a job with an engineering firm?

'Apply the ABC - Always Be Confident. However to achieve that, you would need to be prepared. Preparation begins in university - try to go to the interview with your best academic results and sufficient extra-curricular activities. Try to be articulate at the interview,' Ramlee advised.

The prospects are still bright for the engineering sector. These three experts concurred that there is a lot of room left for careers to be developed in engineering. Judging by the developments domestically and globally, engineers would still be needed and a rewarding career awaits those who are willing to make a sincere effort to succeed. They may not be working in the country, but it could be a benefit for those young engineers who choose to work abroad as well because they could learn a whole lot more.

Of course, as mentioned, engineers could also choose to branch into other sectors and the skills they learned as university would stand them in good stead no matter where they decide to head to.

© GTI Specialist Publishers. Reproduced with permission.