FINDING GREAT GRADUATE JOBS IN SMALLER ENGINEERING FIRMS FINDING GREAT GRADUATE JOBS IN SMALLER ENGINEERING FIRMS

Great opportunities and benefits for graduates aren’t just limited to big engineering companies. Smaller engineering employers can offer perks that are just as beneficial.

According to the 2021 economy statistics by The Singapore Department of Statistics, 99 per cent of all 291,600 registered businesses in Singapore (approximately 288,600 registered business) are small- to mediumsized enterprises (SMEs). In addition, SMEs contribute to about 44 per cent of the national gross domestic product (GDP), and employ 71 per cent of all workers.

Extrapolated, this means that up to 70 per cent of graduates will launch their careers in engineering SMEs!

With so many graduates beginning their career journeys with smaller engineering firms, it’s worth taking the time to find out how applying to smaller firms differs from gunning for bigger companies. After all, bigger companies aren’t the only ones capable of providing impressive opportunities – SMEs can offer similarly competitive prospects, too!

So, if you’re going to start your career journey in an SME, take these tips into account when applying!

Training and salaries in SMEs

Why

Because the headcount in SMEs tend to be smaller (below 200), and their annual profit turnover is typically less than $100 million, resources are limited when it comes to training new hires. Because of this, internationally-approved training schemes or programmes usually aren’t offered, though a lot of on-thejob training, as well as engaging crossdepartmental tasks are common. In fact, some companies, like Yeo Hong Construction and Engineering, offer certified on-the-job programmes (COJTC)!

Instead

In an SME, you’ll most likely be given a variety of responsibilities right off the bat. That may sound daunting, but it’ll actually help you pick up a range of both hard and soft skills, including in-depth specialised industry knowledge, self-motivation and time management.

Because of the wide range of work and steep learning curve, you may find yourself developing just as fast – if not faster – than with a graduate programme in a multinational corporation (MNC) like Schlumberger. In addition, recognition for your work may even come faster than you expect!

Take note

While SMEs aren’t typically able to match salaries from large companies dollar-for-dollar, the gap isn’t so big that most graduates are deterred. Instead, most smaller firms try to keep up with the market average, and what they can’t provide in monetary benefits, they usually make up for it in other ways, like offering flexible working hours, or a more casual dress code in the office.