Congratulations! If you have completed, or are
studying a Diploma in Engineering, you are well on your way to an
exciting future. But what comes next? The Diploma will
prepare you for a whole range of options. The employability
skills developed on the Diploma in Engineering could be used for
all kinds of careers and further learning and do not restrict you
to a career in engineering.
Getting a job with
training
The Diploma in Engineering has been
specifically designed to give you the best chance of getting a
great job. The information below should help you use your
Diploma achievements to impress an engineering employer.
Don’t forget that the employability skills developed on the Diploma
in Engineering could be used for all kinds of careers and further
learning, and do not restrict you to a career in engineering – the
following information would be useful no matter what job you apply
for.
What kinds of engineering jobs can I
apply for?
If you have a Foundation
Diploma in Engineering, look for a Level 2 apprenticeship
programme. These usually specify some GCSEs at D-G as the
entry requirement. Don’t worry, if you have passed your
functional skills and the Principal Learning of the Diploma, you
have achieved this and more.
- If you have a Higher
Diploma in Engineering, your best work-based progression
route is into an Advanced Apprenticeship. Make sure your
Functional Skills achievements are included in your
application.
- If you have an Advanced Diploma in
Engineering, there might be some traineeships which suit you – look
for opportunities which combine part-time study, like a
Foundation Degree with a company training programme.
- Apprentice vacancies are available online at
http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Be-An-Apprentice/Vacancies.aspx
Applying for work
- When filling out the application form, think about what you’ve
learned on the Diploma, and how this shows your enthusiasm
for engineering. Also, think about the Additional and
Specialist Learning qualifications you have done, and how they
might be relevant to the job.
- Send a copy of this endorsement document
with your application, to show how the industry is supporting
Diplomas, and also attach a copy of this equivalencies document – it
shows employers how the Diploma compares to traditional academic
qualifications.
Pre-interview
- Write up all your achievements on the Diploma, thinking about
what you’ve learned, and how it fits with the job you are applying
for. You can use this to prepare for the interview, and to
give yourself a mental checklist of all the things you might want
to talk about.
- Use the list of sample interview questions
to prepare answers which demonstrate all your achievements and
learning.
At interview
The employer will probably have a lot of
questions to ask you about your Diploma, and what it
involves. You might like to use our list of sample
interview questions
to prepare some of your replies.
Staying in full-time study
- If you have a Foundation Diploma in
Engineering, you should be able to progress to a Level 2
qualification in many subjects. Examples of these
qualifications are GCSEs, BTEC Level 2 qualifications, and City
& Guilds Level 2 qualifications. Or you might decide to
continue with a Diploma at Higher level – either in Engineering, or
another subject.
- If you have a Higher Diploma in Engineering,
then A levels might be the next step for you, or BTEC Level 3
qualifications, or City & Guilds Level 3 qualifications.
Or you could continue on to an Advanced Diploma in Engineering, or
another Diploma subject.
- If you have an Advanced Diploma in
Engineering, have a look at the UCAS website to see which universities
welcome applications from Diploma students – most do, as long as
you have taken the Additional & Specialist Learning which they
require.