Building Services Engineering CAREER INSIGHT
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Career Insight: BEng/MEng Building Services Engineering, BSc Building Services Engineering & Project Management
Introduction Modern living depends upon the engineering services that are an integral part of buildings, and these systems consume a significant percentage of the energy used in the UK. Building services engineers operate as part of a professional team alongside architects, structural engineers, quantity surveyors and other construction professionals to ensure that buildings continue to function efficiently while de-carbonising the energy supply. Building services engineers design, install and maintain the services that are needed to allow the building to do what it's designed to. These services include heating, lighting, power and supply, lifts and escalators, health and safety, acoustics and security. There is currently a shortage of building service engineers so graduates from this discipline are in demand. Although pre-entry experience isn’t a pre-requisite (as training is usually provided once in post), relevant experience will still be valued by potential employers. Take advantage of work experience opportunities and networking events to develop your skills. You should consider setting up a LinkedIn profile and following relevant organisations and jobs boards through Twitter. Many employers use social media to post work experience opportunities so take advantage of using the site to help you make links and find out more about what opportunities are out there.
Options with your degree The course is accredited by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and meets the academic requirements for the relevant grade of professional membership. You could work in a range of engineering roles or facilities management positions in small and large national building services engineering consultancies and contractors, and also in the public sector working with local authorities and government agencies. MEng students will undertake a fourth year of study and focus on a ‘real life’ design project. This course also satisfies the educational requirements to become a Chartered Engineer whilst students completing a BEng are required to undertake further study to reach this status. When researching possible employers it is worthwhile exploring if they require applicants to be studying for a MEng or if a BEng is acceptable. There may be opportunities for BEng students to move on to the MEng programme if certain academic standards are met. Building Services Engineer Modern living depends upon the engineering services that are an integral part of buildings, and these systems consume a significant percentage of the energy used in the UK. Building Services Engineers operate as part of a professional team alongside architects, structural engineers, quantity surveyors and other construction professionals to ensure that buildings continue to function efficiently while de-carbonising the energy supply. Building services engineers design, install and maintain the services that are needed to allow the building to
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Career Insight: BEng/MEng Building Services Engineering, BSc Building Services Engineering & Project Management do what it’s designed to. These services include heating, lighting, power and supply, lifts and escalators, health and safety, acoustics and security. There is a growing emphasis on sustainability and building services engineers are at the cutting-edge of designing, developing and managing new technologies that help to reduce the carbon emissions of a building. There is a national shortage of well-trained building services engineers and while the role increasingly demands a multidisciplinary approach, some building services engineers choose to specialise in a certain area, such as: electrical engineering:
facade engineering; mechanical engineering; public health; sustainable and renewable energy.
Whilst the majority of graduates undertake technical roles within building services other roles are available within the construction and property sector. Project Management Project managers oversee projects, ensuring they are delivered on time and on budget, and take responsibility for overseeing everyone’s roles. They can work across a number of different sectors and work throughout the different stages of a construction project from initial design, to planning resources, managing budgets, managing deadlines through to completion and handover. Facilities Management Facilities management involves the co-ordination of both technical and general services to ensure that a building runs smoothly. There has been an increasing demand for specialist facilities services which has resulted in opportunities for facilities managers. In this diverse role, facilities managers make sure that an organisation has the most suitable working environment for its employees and their activities. Facilities managers are involved in both strategic planning and day-to-day operations in areas such as: building and grounds maintenance; health and safety; procurement and contract management; security; and, utilities and communications infrastructure. Opportunities exist in all sectors and industries which can result in a diverse range of job titles – operations, estates, technical services, asset or property manager. Example employers could be in either the public, private or nonprofit sectors such as hospitals, schools and colleges, local councils, shops and business parks, stadiums or specialist facilities management providers and consultancies.
Possible employers You can work with both national and small building services engineering consultancies and contractors or within the public sector. AECOM: www.aecom.com
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Career Insight: BEng/MEng Building Services Engineering, BSc Building Services Engineering & Project Management
Parsons Brinckerhoff: www.pbworld.com/ ARUP : www.arup.com/Careers.aspx Ramboll : www.ramboll.co.uk/careers CH2MHill: www.careers.ch2m.com/ Atkins - www.atkinsglobal.com/graduates Mott MacDonald - www.mottmac.com Balfour Beatty: www.balfourbeatty.com/graduates EC Harris (including BSE): www.echarris.com/graduates House of Commons Service : www.parliament.uk/sandwichstudents Morgan Sindall : http://construction.morgansindall.com Sir Robert McAlpine : http://www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com/careers/ Laing O’Rourke - www.laingorourke.com/Careers BAM Nuttall - www.bamnuttall.co.uk/careers.html Babcock International - www.babcockinternational.com/careers/ AMEC - www.amec.com/careers URS - http://www.urs.com/uki/careers
Ensure you check entry requirements for each area, e.g. will you need a degree in a specific subject? Is a 2:1 degree classification essential? Is any specific work experience required? Is an MEng required?
Useful links/websites
School of the Built Environment job website - www.ljmu.ac.uk/blt/ LJMU My Jobs & Placements - http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/ Gradcracker – Engineering and Construction – www.gradcracker.com Prospects – Careers information and graduate jobs – www.prospects.ac.uk TargetJobs - Careers information and graduate jobs – www.targetjobs.co.uk Bromak (Construction Recruitment Agency) - www.bromak.com The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers: www.cibse.org/ Building 4 Jobs: www.building4jobs.com/ Milkround – graduate jobs, placements & internships - www.milkround.com/
Follow relevant companies/websites through Twitter: @LJMUCareers @gradcracker @cibse_jobs @Building4jobs @AByrneLJMU
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Career Insight: BEng/MEng Building Services Engineering, BSc Building Services Engineering & Project Management
Sources of work experience As part of the degree programme you will have the opportunity to complete a work placement. Gaining work experience in the sector is really important for your future career so you should definitely consider this option. Many of the large recruiters have summer and year-long placement opportunities available to those on degree programmes, which are usually advertised through websites such as Prospects, Targetjobs, Milkround and Gradcracker. The websites listed previously should be your first port of call when researching possible placement opportunities and your Careers Adviser, Andy Byrne, may have additional examples of possible employers who offer these opportunities. Some large employers will offer summer or sandwich placements year after year but you can also secure work experience through a more creative approach. Contacting companies directly through networking events, via email or through LinkedIn may lead to work experience. The School of the Built Environment has a specific member of staff (Angela Clarke) to support students in securing a year-out placement and jobs are placed on the first website listed above. Contacting companies directly at networking events, via email or through LinkedIn may lead to work experience. It is important that you demonstrate that you are interested in the company and have spent some time researching what they do. Even when applying to secure work experience for the first time in this industry, show the employer what you have to offer. Briefly outline the relevancy of your course. Look at the skills outlined above and try to discuss these in your CV, drawing on examples from your course and other work experience or extra-curricular activities to demonstrate these skills. LJMU has also been facilitating a summer internship programme for Level 5 students in recent years, so keep an eye on your LJMU inbox for details of any opportunities. Many undergraduate students also secure work experience through a more ‘speculative’ or ‘creative’ approach, i.e. after contacting organisations directly at networking events, via email or through LinkedIn. Applications for summer internships or year-long placements with large employers are very competitive, so involvement in extracurricular activities, voluntary work or previous work experience can give you the edge over other candidates. It’s never too early to start getting involved in clubs and societies or to gain work experience, so start exploring relevant options early on in your studies.
Recruitment schedules Due to the nature of the construction industry many companies do not know what contracts they have secured in advance and so may not be able to plan their graduate recruitment needs early on. As a result, graduate roles may become available at any time as companies start work on projects so keep looking for opportunities throughout the year. In addition, there are lots of graduate training schemes with large companies. If you are interested in these roles you will need to be aware of the graduate recruitment cycle. Many recruiters begin the graduate recruitment process during the autumn term for final year students. Some placements are advertised then as well. Most closing dates are in November and December but some are earlier so it is important to start researching companies that
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© 2018. Liverpool John Moores University. The content of this document is copyright material of Liverpool John Moores University. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed without prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Career Insight: BEng/MEng Building Services Engineering, BSc Building Services Engineering & Project Management you want to apply to early on. The application process for graduate training schemes usually involves completing an online application form, which may require you to answer ‘competency based questions’. This may be followed by psychometric tests, a telephone interview and an assessment centre. You may also need to submit your CV. You can get advice about the recruitment process and feedback on your applications by booking a one-to-one appointment with a Careers or Employability Adviser in the Byrom Street Careers Zone.
Key events and networking
The Faculty of Engineering & Technology Careers Fair: Takes place annually in October
Liverpool Careers Fair: usually held in the autumn and spring of each year, see fairs website www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk/ for additional events
Careers and Employability events at LJMU: Keep an eye on our events pages at https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events for details of upcoming employability workshops, networking sessions and employer talks.
Manchester Careers Fairs: open to students and graduates from any university; check www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/events/ for details LiverpoolSU Clubs and Societies: http://ljmu.unioncloud.org/groups#club-society
LinkedIn: You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn account (www.linkedin.com/) to network online with professionals and organisations in your chosen industry
Other information LJMU Centre for Entrepreneurship – Support for LJMU students and graduates interested in starting up their own business. Further details can be found here: https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/startup including funding available, eligibility, timescales and training dates.
Careers Zones Campus-based Careers Zones provide easy access to careers support in convenient locations at Byrom Street, Aldham Robarts Library and at IM Marsh, staffed by the Careers Team. Support available includes CV and application form reviews, Careers Adviser appointments, drop-in quick queries, practice interviews and access to careers resources and information. The Zones also host regular employer visits during term time where you can meet and network with employers and discuss job and placement opportunities. For the latest updates and details of locations and opening times, try our Twitter and Facebook pages or call 0151 231 2048/3719.
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© 2018. Liverpool John Moores University. The content of this document is copyright material of Liverpool John Moores University. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed without prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Career Insight: BEng/MEng Building Services Engineering, BSc Building Services Engineering & Project Management
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Š 2018. Liverpool John Moores University. The content of this document is copyright material of Liverpool John Moores University. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed without prior written permission of the copyright owner.
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