Getting a job as an electrical engineer

You're just out of grad school and looking for a job. Perhaps you're a general electrical engineer, or maybe you've specialised as a transformer engineer, but either way, there are too few jobs for so many graduates. What are your chances of landing a job as an electrical engineer in this economy?

Despite what you may think when you're not getting any results from sending out your resume, there are a shortage of electrical engineers in New Zealand, according to Department of Labour estimates. "Electrical Engineer" appears on New Zealand's "long-term skill shortage" list at Immigration, which means immigrants with electrical engineering degrees are being encouraged to come here. Instead, you should be applying for those jobs.

The NZ Government is spending more than ever on infrastructure, and with that comes increasing opportunities for qualified electrical engineers. The government has confirmed in the 2011 Budget it will be spending a further $3.8 billion updating the national grid, so you'll be seeing more and more opportunities for electrical engineers as this project progresses.

And, don't forget, the new sustainable energy market is creating more jobs for specialised electrical engineers. The increased use of wind power, solar power and hydro-electrical schemes demand specialist skills, and would be a fascinating area for any electrical engineer interested in specializing.

As an electrical or transformer engineer, you'll either be working for a major power company, or for an engineering consulting firm as part of a team of specialised engineers. The work will vary between designing new systems, implementing new electrical technology, and maintaining and troubleshooting the current systems.

If you want to stand out amongst the other engineering candidates, the first thing you should do is approach major companies and power suppliers about internship programmes and work experience opportunities. Each year these companies take on a certain number of graduates as part of these programmes and it is to the standout graduates in this pool that they offer jobs at the end of the internship period. If you can land an internship and prove yourself a competent and efficient employee, then you can find yourself with a job offer as an electrical engineer.