There are jobs out there

It is not all doom and gloom in the engineering sector, despite the economic downturn.

While things are difficult, there are still skill shortages in some areas of the industry, says Rob Law Maxrecruitment general manager Alan Sherlock.

Rob Law Maxrecruitment is known as one of New Zealand's leading professional, technical, infrastructure and engineering recruitment companies.

It deals with engineering consulting firms, utility-energy companies, manufacturing companies, government entities, contractors and rail and roading organisations.

While recruitment companies are being bombarded with applications for many of their advertised jobs, Mr Sherlock says in his area, it is still difficult to find many specialists.

"There is still a skill shortage across a number of specialist sectors at all levels. It's not all doom and gloom out there."

On the most-wanted list of staff are electrical engineers and engineers associated with transmission and distribution, generation and renewable energy developments, specialist rail engineers (infrastructure and rolling stock) and senior project managers.

"The broad infrastructure industry in New Zealand remains positive - roading, rail, power, utilities. There are skill shortages in all these sectors.

"There has been a lot of development work in rail in recent years and that's continuing.

"There's a lot of money and work going into the roading sector. It's still a buoyant sector in terms of upcoming projects and a lot of money is being spent.

"As a result there's a need for skilled staff, usually very-hard-to-find staff."

On the other hand, Mr Sherlock says engineering consultancies and architects are quiet recruitment-wise, as many projects domestically and internationally have been deferred, put on hold or taken back in-house.

Manufacturing is another area of concern and appears to be very much on the back foot, he says.

The credit crunch, lack of spending overseas and fluctuating currencies make it difficult to maintain a presence in New Zealand, he says.

While some specialist manufacturers appear OK, high-volume manufacturers have found it hard to compete from New Zealand.

Of the jobs that are available, Mr Sherlock advises candidates to be mindful of the fact that employers today are looking for more quality and are less compromising than they were in more buoyant times.

"Remain proactive, but be realistic in terms of what you are applying for. Be realistic in terms of remuneration and be open to flexible options such as contract or fixed-term roles."

As in other industries, engineering sector employers can be reluctant to commit to engaging people permanently, resulting in a rise in contract or temporary opportunities.

"It's really a matter of identifying the sectors that are employing, looking at where the growth is and at what your transferable skills are."

What Mr Sherlock doesn't want to see is candidates applying for jobs they aren't suitable for.

"It appears to be an increasingly common problem. In some sectors, we're getting a lot of applicants, compared with what we have been getting. However, the suitability is not what is required by our clients. There are still only a few candidates you can realistically look at.

"Candidates need to be realistic. They need to look at what they can do, rather than just apply for everything," says Mr Sherlock.

"I'm all for people taking a bit of a risk and stretching themselves in terms of their career. However, applying for roles you're completely unsuitable for doesn't help."

- © Fairfax NZ News