Case studies: Electrical engineer: Abbas

Abbas studied an HND in building services at Stourbridge College, in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton. He now works for a building services consultancy in Birmingham.

I decided to study an HND as it was specific to the sector I had chosen and it offered me specific vocational skills. I chose building services as I had a particular interest in engineering and the course also had various elements that offered a number of dynamic career options.

An HND is shorter than a degree, but there will be opportunities to top-up to a degree at a later stage if I need to.

I decided not to continue onto a degree as I wanted to gain experience within the industry and to start earning. The high cost of continuing my education was also a factor. I also felt that the HND I had studied was a good platform on which to build my skills and knowledge in the workplace.

While at college I made a huge effort in preparing my CV. I wanted to make it presentable and as competitive as possible, as I understood the building industry was tough to enter. I carried out a lot of research into the building industry and learnt more about what employers are requesting in terms of skills. I then applied to as many jobs as I could find.

I decided I had to compromise on my wage expectations as it was my first job, and especially with the downturn of the economy, I recognised that gaining industry experience was really important.

Through the job search, the main resources I used were general job boards and company websites. However, I found my current job through a recruitment agency six weeks after completing my qualification.

A typical day as an electrical engineer includes electrical design work such as lighting, fire alarms and power on different types of buildings and projects. I enjoy the variety of tasks I am given as it makes every day different. I have gained more and more experience, and from this, I have grown in confidence.

There are opportunities for career progression; however, getting a promotion is a challenge. You have to put the hard work in. I started with the consultancy as a trainee and aim to become a senior engineer.

My advice to students and other graduates is to be patient and always believe in yourself.