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Parents of adult children

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Original poster

DS struggling to get an engineering job

245 replies

Enginer · 22/10/2025 18:53

DS graduated in engineering with a 2.2 from Oxford. He didn’t apply to jobs while a student as the course was too intense.

He’s now really struggling to get anywhere with jobs. He’s applied to a few graduate schemes but got nowhere. He’s got as far as second interview with a speculative application but that’s it.

He is getting increasingly low about it and I’m worried about him. His mental health isn’t great anyway due to previous issues and he’s quite isolated as many of his friends have moved away.

Has anyone got any tips to pass on? Any good recruitment agencies to try? Is he stuffed because of his 2.2? He would like to live at home for the moment (London area) so maybe that is also part of the problem as many jobs are elsewhere.

To answer possible questions in advance, his CV looks quite good I think. He’s got some good internships on there and he has done things outside of formal study that are relevant to engineering (personal coding projects etc).

OP posts:
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mamagogo1 · 08/12/2025 17:16

If he’s willing to move I read they are recruiting for submarine construction across multiple levels including grad entry. Mod, bae or Babcock are where to find them. Grown industry thanks to certain international politicians!

Original poster
Enginer · 08/12/2025 17:21

@BunnyRuddington really kind of you but they are asking for a 2.1.

OP posts:
Original poster
Enginer · 08/12/2025 17:26

@mamagogo1 he has an active application with the MoD. Bae have rejected him. Not sure about Babcock. Thanks for the suggestions!

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cortex10 · 08/12/2025 18:04

DS joined the Royal Navy with his mechanical engineering degree in 2019 and it’s been the making of him in terms of his personal and professional development. Obviously also need to meet the fitness and leadership skills requirements to pass the officer selection board but the signing on payments were the equivalent of paying off his student loan (or in his case the deposit on his first house) and for the past couple of years he’s been shore based so not even away at sea. It’s not a lifestyle for everyone or without risks in the current political climate but worth considering. It also opens up post-navy careers in the defence sector given the experience gained and the level of security clearance already achieved.

BunnyRuddington · 08/12/2025 18:14

Enginer · 08/12/2025 17:21

@BunnyRuddington really kind of you but they are asking for a 2.1.

So sorry, I hadn’t spotted that rather important fact.

YumYa · 08/12/2025 18:20

cortex10 · 08/12/2025 18:04

DS joined the Royal Navy with his mechanical engineering degree in 2019 and it’s been the making of him in terms of his personal and professional development. Obviously also need to meet the fitness and leadership skills requirements to pass the officer selection board but the signing on payments were the equivalent of paying off his student loan (or in his case the deposit on his first house) and for the past couple of years he’s been shore based so not even away at sea. It’s not a lifestyle for everyone or without risks in the current political climate but worth considering. It also opens up post-navy careers in the defence sector given the experience gained and the level of security clearance already achieved.

@Enginer said her ds can't because of medical reasons?

My ds is in the royal navy too. He was rejected and appealed. What is the reason OP? And has he been to the careers office?

JamesWebbSpaceTelescope · 08/12/2025 19:05

An alternative to the Royal Navy is the merchant navy. Still engines but less physical requirements.

Original poster
Enginer · 08/12/2025 23:04

@YumYa There’s more than one medical issue that would seem to disbar him. I’d prefer not to go in to details.

OP posts:
YumYa · 08/12/2025 23:29

Enginer · 08/12/2025 23:04

@YumYa There’s more than one medical issue that would seem to disbar him. I’d prefer not to go in to details.

That's a shame.

YumYa · 08/12/2025 23:30

@Enginer I meant it's a shame there's more than one. Understandable not to go into details.

brokenintopieces · 11/12/2025 07:17

Have a look here - there is a huge range of roles that might interest him. https://jobs.thameswater.co.uk/Search.aspx

Current opportunities

https://jobs.thameswater.co.uk/Search.aspx

BunnyRuddington · 11/12/2025 08:36

How’s he getting on wirh that Clerical job that he secured? Has he started yet? Has he given a Masters anymore thought? I know you say that he would prefer to leave study and work though if possible.

I wonder if a Coach to help him with applications and interviews might be beneficial too? If one of his medical conditions is ADHD then I would highly recommend looking for an ADHD Coach. DS has one through DSA and we are thinking of approaching her to see if she will do weekly sessions with him once he’s left Uni.

Original poster
Enginer · 11/12/2025 18:25

@brokenintopieces many thanks, will forward.

@BunnyRuddington he did all the online training; got his DBS (or whatever it’s now called; got a swipe card; got signed on to payroll… and then after weeks if not months of emailing back and forth, the job no longer seemed to be on offer. There may be another (different) role available but this depends on another branch of the bureaucracy getting into action. He’s awaiting news on that.

He’s applied for another couple of basic/fill-in jobs but, as my mother would say, “no answer was the stern reply”. Understandably he doesn’t want to spend too much time applying for basic jobs because the “proper” job applications are so time-consuming.

He’s got quite a few applications still in the pipeline and there are new positions being advertised still so he has to just keep plugging away. But my goodness it’s tough out there.

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Original poster
Enginer · 11/12/2025 18:28

@BunnyRuddington PS re coach — we have a friend who is a coach/trainer and she has done a couple of sessions with him, helping him with CV and interview skills. (She has a background in corporate HR and she says she’d hire him in a heartbeat.) But maybe additional coaching would also be useful. Another friend also suggested this in fact (before telling me that he’d used a careers coach and found her really annoying).

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BunnyRuddington · 11/12/2025 19:14

It really is tough out there, I don’t envy anyone looking for a job right now. Hopefully the comments from your DF helped to boost his confidence though?

If he doesn’t want to spend ages applying for jobs, can he go for something quite basic? I was in our local Matalan recently and they said that they had 14 vacancies and couldn’t get anyone to apply.

Original poster
Enginer · 11/12/2025 22:35

@BunnyRuddington Thanks... yes he was feeling pretty positive after that feedback from my friend but his confidence very much ebbs and flows.

I had a look at Matalan but they don't have vacancies near us. There must be plenty of other similar jobs but this other opportunity is a bit more CV-friendly (there will be some programming involved) so he's holding out for that at the moment. But needing oodles of patience.

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Saggy45 · 19/12/2025 19:45

I feel your pain. My son has a 2:1 in Aerospace Engineering from Liverpool. He couldn't get a third year placement in industry so went straight into his final year. He applied to over 50 year in industry jobs - advertised and those on a punt - nothing. He has applied for every graduate placement since getting his results and hasn't even got to the next round. Lots of people who know what they're talking about have looked at his CV and letter of application and think it's good. He has a week's work experience with BAE and a practical week's experience with an engineering company from when he was at at school and he has flown a plane. He is currently bartending and feeling rather deflated. The problem with degrees is that they don't give you practical experience so they really need a graduate job where they are nurtured and moved around the departments and aerospace is pretty niche. I feel really sorry for young people today.

EasternStandard · 19/12/2025 19:56

Saggy45 · 19/12/2025 19:45

I feel your pain. My son has a 2:1 in Aerospace Engineering from Liverpool. He couldn't get a third year placement in industry so went straight into his final year. He applied to over 50 year in industry jobs - advertised and those on a punt - nothing. He has applied for every graduate placement since getting his results and hasn't even got to the next round. Lots of people who know what they're talking about have looked at his CV and letter of application and think it's good. He has a week's work experience with BAE and a practical week's experience with an engineering company from when he was at at school and he has flown a plane. He is currently bartending and feeling rather deflated. The problem with degrees is that they don't give you practical experience so they really need a graduate job where they are nurtured and moved around the departments and aerospace is pretty niche. I feel really sorry for young people today.

This is so worrying.

Original poster
Enginer · 19/12/2025 20:14

Sorry your DS is also struggling, @Saggy45. Fingers crossed for both of them.

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anotherglass · 23/12/2025 17:05

I blame the government for making it more expensive for employers to hire staff. Graduates have taken the brunt of this with recruitment falling nearly 50% over the past year. My son has an Aero Engineering degree from RG uni which is in the top 3 of its subject. Still no luck job hunt after 6 months. I'm going to suggest he start looking at Masters to ride out the job slump. Not ideal but better be doing something productive with his time and keeping his skills sharp until the job market recovers.

JacknDiane · 24/12/2025 14:28

My son in doing a grad job. In his 2nd year now. He said the intake for grads this new year is 1 grad place, there was 5 when he got in. He said its due to AI. He said a team of 4 or 5 people is now a team of 2 with AI doing the other work. And his team works with AI ,effectively teaching AI their jobs...

BunnyRuddington · 24/12/2025 16:13

JacknDiane · 24/12/2025 14:28

My son in doing a grad job. In his 2nd year now. He said the intake for grads this new year is 1 grad place, there was 5 when he got in. He said its due to AI. He said a team of 4 or 5 people is now a team of 2 with AI doing the other work. And his team works with AI ,effectively teaching AI their jobs...

Can I ask what type of Engineering it os please @JacknDiane?

Love the username btw, have now got they firmly lodged as an earworm Smile

Needspaceforlego · 26/12/2025 19:05

anotherglass · 23/12/2025 17:05

I blame the government for making it more expensive for employers to hire staff. Graduates have taken the brunt of this with recruitment falling nearly 50% over the past year. My son has an Aero Engineering degree from RG uni which is in the top 3 of its subject. Still no luck job hunt after 6 months. I'm going to suggest he start looking at Masters to ride out the job slump. Not ideal but better be doing something productive with his time and keeping his skills sharp until the job market recovers.

I know a young guy with a masters who still can't get a start. Its scary.

Original poster
Enginer · 26/12/2025 19:07

DS is still plugging away. He has a temporary job starting in the new year, and an interview for an engineering job as well. A "highlight" of the whole process was a job rejection email which he received yesterday.

Yes, on Christmas Day. Words fail.

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ErrolTheDragon · 26/12/2025 19:52

Enginer · 26/12/2025 19:07

DS is still plugging away. He has a temporary job starting in the new year, and an interview for an engineering job as well. A "highlight" of the whole process was a job rejection email which he received yesterday.

Yes, on Christmas Day. Words fail.

I’m so sorry, though it sounds like he’s dodged a bullet - what sort of company does that?