It’s also a highly skilled area, which is why many workers with extensive education prefer it because it lets them apply their knowledge directly.
What do you need to do as a graduate to launch a successful career in this field? How can you stay ahead of the competition and really thrive in this area?
Earn relevant education and certifications
Your first job is to earn relevant education and certifications. The best degrees are in areas like:
- Mechanical engineering
- Operations management
- Supply chain management
Once you have these under your belt, they provide a strong foundation for entry-level roles that allow you to gain access to more lucrative career paths. Consider certifications like:
- Lean Six Sigma
- OSHA safety
These can be helpful, depending on the type of company you’re applying to. You might also want to look into getting CNC or CAD training so that you understand how these computer-based systems work in the context of manufacturing and operations. Remember, even if you have a four-year degree, earning these targeted certificates can open new doors to operational positions. You may find that they give you a leg up against other candidates in your niche applying for the same role, so
Build in-demand technical skills
You should also explore building in-demand technical skills, especially those relating to the types of businesses you want to apply to. If you know that a company is struggling to find talent that can service its machinery or troubleshoot problems with its production systems, then you’ll be in high demand.
Even learning how to use hand tools for basic maintenance can be helpful, because a lot of these companies lack expertise in these areas and have to hire inexpensive contractors from outside to fix problems. Digital skills can also be important if you are looking at roles in the industrial IoT sector. Firms need people with experience with automation and robotics programming, as well as ERP systems and predictive maintenance AI. If you have these skills and can show continuous improvement, then that will increase demand for you and help bosses choose you over other candidates.
Soft skills are also important, so look for ways to demonstrate them while earning your degree. Focus on things like teamwork and communication so that managers can see that you have them and there’s concrete evidence of your interpersonal skills. These are becoming more important in modern manufacturing environments.
Gain hands-on experience through internships
While you might be busy with your degree, it’s worthwhile gaining as much hands-on experience as you can through internships. Being on the factory floor and getting to know people puts you in a much better position than other students who haven’t taken this extra effort. You can build links and connections with these people, making it more likely that a position will open up for you once you graduate.
Many manufacturing plants offer co-op programmes. These are usually unfunded but only short-term. They provide you with insights into the types of work you’ll be doing and training on the job, so you can see more of what to expect. You can also learn more about the specific roles available in many companies, like machine operator, quality inspector, and assembler. These quickly lead to supervisory roles for graduate students.
Learn how industry suppliers work
Candidates that understand how the industry as a whole works become even more valuable to prospective future employers. For example, if you can work with factory partition companies, predictive AI software vendors and recruitment firms, you’re putting yourself in a good position. Getting this sort of experience is invaluable for factories that may not be able to access the right type of people.
Once you know how to work with industry suppliers, it’s a skill that will stay with you for life. You’ll develop the ability to communicate effectively with these people and build deep, lasting relationships with them that support the firm as a whole.
Look for entry-level roles that scale quickly
The most common starting points for graduates are as operations analysts, quality assurance technicians, and production supervisors. If you can become an industrial or manufacturing process engineer or a logistics coordinator, you’ll become even more valuable.
What’s nice about these roles is that they’re ubiquitous across secondary industries. Almost every firm needs to hire at least one person in one of these categories, which gives you more options and allows you to move horizontally between companies to find the best pay and compensation. There’s also the opportunity to move vertically as you gain more skills and experience. Many firms are willing to take on supply chain coordinators as managers because of the complexity and depth of their roles.
Also, if you’re planning on getting into this field, look for companies in high-growth sectors. Currently, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace are doing well, and advanced materials manufacturing is emerging as another promising option.
Automate your job search process
Don’t get bogged down, like many graduate students do, spending all of their time searching for jobs and making applications. Automate as much of the process as you can while ensuring that your applications are targeted to the companies that you really want to work for.
The best approach is to tell prospective employers that you can solve a specific problem that they’re dealing with using the tools that they use. If you can demonstrate this ability, they’ll often hire you at the market rate or even higher.
You can also use tools to automate searches on sites like LinkedIn and Indeed. This reduces the amount of effort that you have to put into the job search process, giving you more flexibility.
So there you have it, some of the ways graduates can launch successful careers in manufacturing and operations. A lot of the advice in this guide is just common sense but following it can yield considerable results quickly.
