Product Design Engineering CAREER INSIGHT
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
Introduction Design is a growing sector, despite the recession the profession continues to expand, offering opportunities in many different industries. Increasingly complex product design and manufacturing processes should mean designers will continue to enjoy good employment prospects. It is important to consider how you can demonstrate your “passion for design” and how you are pro-active in seeking out opportunities to build up your skills and experience. Many Product Design graduates enter career areas where they make daily use of their subject knowledge and skills. A significant proportion work in multi-disciplinary teams and they could be working alongside electrical, mechanical and software engineers; colleagues from marketing and others who are materials specialists. Some Product Design students choose to become self-employed or to do freelance work. This usually happens once they have developed a track record of relevant industrial experience and a network of contacts and potential clients. You should also 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. It is extremely important that designers develop and maintain a network of contacts for support, ideas and to secure employment.
Career options Previous graduates from the course have secured a number of different roles after completing their studies showing the variety of options available to product design engineering students. Examples include: Design Engineer, Product Designer, CAD Programmer, Computer Aided Designer, Design & Development Engineer, Mechanical Designer, Junior Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Aerospace Design Engineer, Applications Engineer, Technical Marketing Engineer, Mechanical Software Engineer and Design and Technology Teacher. The information below is taken from the Prospects website. Jobs directly related to your degree •
Industrial/Product Designer
www.prospects.ac.uk/industrial_product_designer_job_description.htm Works on new products or improves existing ones and uses their understanding of technology, materials and manufacturing methods to improve the design and usability of an
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
item. Products may include everyday items, such as mobile phones or household appliances, or larger items, such as industrial tools, equipment and machinery. •
Exhibition designer - Produces designs for exhibition and display stands used at showcase events, trade shows, conferences, galleries and museums. They base their designs on their interpretation of their client's ideas and requirements and also provide their own ideas in relation to product concept and likely customer appeal. www.prospects.ac.uk/exhibition_designer_job_description.htm
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Secondary school teacher - may teach craft, design and technology, and related subjects to 11-18 year-olds. A Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) is essential for the state-maintained sector. Teacher training is a rapidly changing environment and opportunities now exist to train both in a university and at a school or group of schools. Design and Technology is currently a subject which offers financial support (between £9,000 and £12,000 if you achieve or 2:1 or first class honours on your degree) for the 2016/17 academic year. www.prospects.ac.uk/secondary_school_teacher_job_description.htm •
Higher/Further education lecturer www.prospects.ac.uk/higher_education_lecturer_job_description.htm teaches craft, design and technology-related subjects in further education (FE) colleges or universities. Higher education lecturers may require some related industrial experience and possibly further study at postgraduate level.
Jobs where your degree would be useful •
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Purchasing manager - responsible for ensuring that their companies select the most appropriate goods and services on the basis of price, quality, delivery times and services support. They must also take their own business brand needs and customer interests into consideration. Advertising account executive - works within advertising or multi-service agencies and is responsible for liaising between the client and other agency staff to coordinate advertising campaigns. They manage administrative and campaign work, ensuring that this is all completed on time and on budget. Marketing executive - involved in developing marketing campaigns that promote a product, service or idea. The role includes planning, advertising, public relations, event organisation, product development, distribution, sponsorship and research. Knowledge of product design means they are able to anticipate consumer requirements and can make a valuable contribution in the marketing of products. Sales executive - sells their company’s goods and services. Their customers may be businesses, governmental organisations or individuals. Understanding and meeting the needs of the customer are essential if a product is to be successful.
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
This information has been taken from: www.prospects.ac.uk/options_product_industrial_design_job_options.htm Other options The range of skills developed on product/industrial design courses is wide and develops technical, practical and communication skills to a high level. While many enter these courses to pursue a career in design, the range of skills makes you adaptable across a wider range of commercial and public sector organisations. Graduates should focus on continuing professional development (CPD) by keeping up to date with new software and training in other platforms whenever possible. It is important to be knowledgeable about new materials and technology.
Portfolios and networking A portfolio has traditionally been a way for all design students to showcase their work to employers who will use it to form opinions of your creativity, ability to analyse and solve a problem and ultimately your passion for design. There are now numerous ways to display your images and designs online in addition to specialist portfolio websites such as Coroflot, Behance, or Carbonmade for example. You should also consider setting up a LinkedIn account (www.linkedin.com) to network online with professionals and organisations in your chosen industry and joining a relevant professional body will help keep graduates informed and connected such as the Institute of Engineering Designers or the Chartered Society of Designers.
Possible employers An extremely wide range of employers will recruit students from the Product Design Engineering course including those from the manufacturing sector (for example Jaguar Land Rover, Triumph motorcycles, Dyson, Renishaw, Prysmian), oil and gas (Fabricom), and software companies such as Driveworks. It is important to think of about what type of organisation you would like to work for, large or small design company, what type of products do they design – consumer goods or as part of a larger manufacturing operation such as cars?
Useful links/websites • • • •
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LJMU My Jobs & Placements - http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/ Gradcracker – Engineering and Construction focus – www.gradcracker.com Prospects – Careers information and graduate jobs – www.prospects.ac.uk TargetJobs - Careers information and graduate jobs – www.targetjobs.co.uk
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
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Graduate to Merseyside (graduate roles in small businesses on Merseyside) www.liv.ac.uk/careers/gradvantage/internships.htm Milkround – graduate jobs, placements & internships - www.milkround.com/ Design Council - www.designcouncil.org.uk/ Engineering Council - www.engc.org.uk Chartered Society of Designers - www.csd.org.uk Coroflot – www.coroflot.com - Online resource to showcase your design ideas, explore the work of others and see job postings Talent Retention Solutions (Graduate Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing jobs) - www.talentretention.biz Year in Industry - www.etrust.org.uk/year_in_industry.cfm - Scheme linking students and employers who are offering yearlong placements in STEM industries (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Institute of Engineering Designers (IED) – www.ied.org.uk Chartered Society of Designers – www.csd.org.uk Engineering Graduates – www.engineeringgraduates.com – Opportunities for sandwich placements and development programme whilst studying Knowledge Transfer Partnership - www.ktponline.org.uk – Scheme which offer graduates the opportunity to undertake a project at a company for a fixed term, usually 2 years approximately. Graduates also have the opportunity to undertake postgraduate level study. Engineering-related projects are common. Engineering UK - www.engineeringuk.com Careers in Oil and Gas – www.oilcareers.com Careers in renewable energies – www.renewablescareers.com Renewable UK - www.renewableuk.com – Trade body representing wind and marine energy Nuclear Graduates - www.nucleargraduates.com - Graduate scheme organised by a number of large recruiters for students looking to work in the nuclear industry. Partners include the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Magnox, Sellafield and Rolls Royce. Machtech (Recruitment Agency for Engineering, IT and Construction) www.machtech.com/graduates
Follow relevant companies/websites through Twitter: • • •
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@LJMUCareers @gradcracker @AByrneLJMU
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
Sources of work experience You will have the opportunity to complete a work placement as part of your course and gaining work experience in a design role is a great way to develop your portfolio and build of your networks. Many employers express the importance of students getting ‘hands-on’ experience to demonstrate their creativity and ability to solve problems. 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, RateMyPlacement, Gradcracker and the Year in Industry site which includes placements opportunities at small companies. The websites listed previously should be your first port of call when researching possible placement opportunities and your Careers Adviser, Andy Byrne, or lecturers 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. It is important to 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 that employers say are important 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. Useful websites to research a range of voluntary opportunities include www.do-it.org.uk/ and www.volunteeringliverpool.org.uk/. You could also contact LJMU Volunteering Manager Chris Prescott on 0151 904 6356 or c.j.prescott@ljmu.ac.uk to enquire about current opportunities. It is also worth researching relevant organisations/charities and contacting them directly to find out about voluntary roles on offer. Employers look for candidates with a range of experience and achievements. Download our mini-guide on “Making yourself employable whilst at University” from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm for an overview of the different types of
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
work experience available and some general suggestions about finding work experience opportunities.
Recruitment schedules There are lots of graduate training schemes with large companies and 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 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 may also find work through small or medium sized enterprises/businesses (SMEs) which will include a large number of small design companies. These companies don’t usually have structured training schemes but will recruit ‘as required’. They may use their own application form but most applications will be by CV and covering letter. These positions will be advertised on company websites, relevant recruitment websites and national and local newspapers. The ‘creative’ approach to job hunting, outlined above, is also important when looking for graduate roles. Making contacts and approaching organisations speculatively to look for work is a common route into employment. For more information about the speculative approach to job hunting, download a copy of our guide to ‘The Hidden Jobs Market’ from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm. You can get advice about the recruitment process by booking a one-to-one appointment with a Careers or Employability Adviser or you can attend workshops at the Careers Zones.
Key events and networking • • •
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Liverpool Careers Fair: usually held in the autumn and spring of each year, see fairs website http://www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk/ for additional events Manchester Careers Fairs: open to students and graduates from any university; check http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/events/ for details 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. You might be interested in the “Pursuing a career in clinical psychology” session we usually run once per semester. LiverpoolSU Clubs and Societies: http://ljmu.unioncloud.org/groups#club-society LinkedIn: You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn account (http://www.linkedin.com/) to network online with professionals and organisations in your chosen industry
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
Other information LJMU Enterprise Fellowship Programme – Support for LJMU students and graduates interested in starting up their own business. Further details can be found here: http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/startup/ including eligibility, timescales and training dates.
Careers Zone Our campus-based Careers Zones are based in the reception area of James Parsons Building at Byrom Street, in Aldham Robarts Library and in IM Marsh Library. Call in for help with any careers enquiries, to book an appointment with our advisers, pick up careers guides and resources, meet employers, book a practice interview and much more.
Case Studies
George Sewell graduated from the Product Innovation & Development course in 2014 and completed a placement as part of this course.
What role did you secure and what did the application / selection process involve? I secured a graduate role as a Product Designer at a company called Heightec who design and manufacture work at height, rope rescue and height safety products. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? I secured this graduate role after completing a year-long work placement with Heightec. Undertaking the placement was vital in both getting this job and being invited to several other interviews during my final year. Employers value hands-on experience more than anything else in the design sector. There aren’t many students who have design work experience and this helped me to ultimately secure a graduate role. To secure the original work placement I was proactive and rang around lots of employers after sending my CV to them. I knew which companies interested me and employers are more likely to take you seriously if you put the effort in and contact them direct. Try not to limit yourself to the companies who advertise directly with the university, try to be proactive. I felt it was important to be specific in my job search, to get relevant experience and have an understanding of what I wanted from a job. What help and support did you access from the Careers Team and how was this useful? Attending the CV writing workshops was extremely useful and hearing how to layout a skills-
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
based CV. I also heard about the company I now work for through a talk that an industrial designer gave at the Careers Centre, and as this company were based in Kendal I asked them which other companies were in that area. What aspects of your degree were useful in the selection process to help you to secure this position? Everything was useful as far as the course content. As I am working as a product designer and the degree was well set up for teaching these skills especially the main projects I completed. Learning and practicing the design for manufacture, materials science and materials testing was also extremely beneficial as well as developing my sketching and CAD skills. What does your current role involve and what projects are you involved in? As a Product Designer I design work at height and rescue equipment, both hard goods and soft goods like Harnesses. I can be working on several projects at any one time which will be at different stages. I take projects that I manage from the initial stage, researching the brief, going and talking to users and getting as much good user-centred feedback as possible. At the concept stage complete sketching and rough modelling then I will develop that concept in CAD and create better working models. This development can take a long time often making changes several times based on working models and we are also looking to source suppliers and component manufacturers. After we have a working solution I can then complete renders from the CAD model that can be passed on to the marketing team. The final stage is designing for manufacture before the product hits the marketplace.
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
Notes
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Product Design Engineering
Notes
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