Find Great Graduate Jobs in Small Engineering Firms

Big job opportunities for graduates are not just limited to big engineering companies, so why not check out smaller employers as well?

Consider this: nearly 99 per cent of all registered businesses in Singapore today are SMEs that employ 65 per cent of the workforce and contribute to approximately half of the national gross domestic product (GDP).

By extension, this means that up to 70 per cent of engineering graduates will most likely end up launching their careers with smaller engineering firms.

With so many graduates finding employment with small engineering businesses, it will be good to take a look at how applications to such companies differ from applying to bigger conglomerates. After all, big corporations are not the only organisations with impressive opportunities – SMEs can offer graduates very competitive prospects too! While most SMEs will not be able to provide internationally-approved training programmes, what they can promise is a lot of on-the-job training and involvement.

You will likely be given a variety of responsibilities right off the bat that will help you pick up a range of skills, and as a result, you may find yourself developing just as fast – if not faster – than in an actual rotating graduate programme. Recognition for your work may even come faster than you expect!

Unfortunately, salary-wise, SMEs may not be able to offer as much as a large company. However, the gap is not so big that it deters graduates from working with them, and most try to keep up with the market average, offering competitive remuneration through other nonmonetary benefits instead.

Training and salaries

Finding a job in an SME

Regrettably, this is no longer as simple as flipping open the newspaper or logging into a job search portal. When it comes to recruiting graduate engineers, most firms prefer a more financially-sustainable form of advertisement: collaboration with university career services centres.

That is not the only reason, though. Many smaller businesses tend to have highly-specific needs, and career services centres can help them by pre-screening suitable students and graduates according to any requirements for both internships and employment opportunities.

Due to the specialised nature of the work involved, students may even be exposed to a different form of industrial experience, rather than the kind offered by conventional giants.

It should also be worth noting that “small” does not necessarily mean “nameless”; there are plenty of highly-specialised, world-renowned engineering employers that operate in Singapore as SMEs, either because of their specialised work, or for the tax incentives they can get from being classified as a smaller business. You never know what hidden gems you may find!

Applying to SMEs

Applications to smaller businesses call for a proactive nature. As is the case with most other employers, smaller engineering firms favour experienced candidates who can offer immediate contributions. So, in order to compete with other job hunters, you will have to go the extra mile by gaining relevant work or internship experience to prove you can hit the ground running.

This translates to starting early – and multitasking. Engineering employers especially like graduates who have demonstrated an ability to successfully manage several projects or responsibilities simultaneously.

Pinpoint instances where you have juggled a few responsibilities with positive results, and highlight those in your resume.

Do not just focus on selling yourself, though. Job searches are all about matching what you have to offer with an organisation’s needs, and it is no different with SMEs. Make sure you also consider these other factors while applying as well: • Find out as much specific information about the company as you possibly can, such as their corporate aims and objectives, the types of projects they usually focus on, as well as any stances they may have on social responsibilities. • Demonstrate that your existing knowledge can contribute to improving the enterprise’s performance. • Indicate your enthusiasm by following up with a phone call or an enquiry email after submitting your application. Take note to not flood their inbox though!

Entrance requirements for smaller firms generally tend to be less restrictive and structured compared to larger organisations, so expect a more interesting, personal interview process too.

Graduate apprenticeships

The occasional smaller engineering firm may have their own graduate apprenticeship scheme – usually a scaled-down equivalent of the formal training programmes at large engineering corporations – to initiate graduate hires into their jobs.

Most apprenticeships typically consist of three parts: • An introduction to the basic engineering principles needed for the job and their application in daily circumstances. • An extended education component for any necessary academic qualifications. • An industrial year where you earn credits towards your degree by working with the employer.

Your apprenticeship may also be enhanced by a variety of other benefits and activities that these companies can offer, such as training sessions and seminars, or even afterwork activities.

With this in mind, do not be afraid to look for opportunities to interact with staff at the organisations you are interested in to find out more about what their apprenticeships have to offer.