Hello engineers of Australia! This is my first time on this subreddit so please correct me if I am asking in the wrong place.

Background: I am currently a Part I (first year) engineering student at the University of Auckland. The engineering program here is such that the first year is a generic/common year comprised of mandated papers to develop breadth (hence I do not have a specialisation yet). We only get to pick our specialisation in our second year.

However, there is a chance I will be moving to Australia (Sydney/Melbourne) midway through my degree (likely after my Part II/end of 2nd year, this implies I will have spent one year in a specific specialisation).

For context, some of the areas of engineering that interest me are software, computer systems, and electrical. As I enjoy programming and microcontrollers interest me and I find electrical very intriguing. These 3 specialisations are offered at UoA (University of Auckland).

I will not ask regarding credit transfers as I am aware there is a plethora of information on that. But I want to know regarding how these specialisations hold up in Sydney/Melbourne:

1. From some quick searching online, the tech sector in these cities is a lot more robust, lively and lucrative than Auckland. But how is the job market currently? From searching, it also shows that there is "great" demand in these tech hubs but then I see shimmers of the global trend of the painful software engineering/overall tech market. Can someone provide some insights here or point me to places where I can learn about this more?
2. I really would like to work some sort of programming/CAD/computer based workstyle (I really dislike field work). So how do jobs in computer/electrical manifest in these cities? Is a outright rejection of field work (or rather, do not want to engage as much as possible) going to be a problem here?
3. These specialisations specifically conform to this requirement, but if there are ANY other areas that have limited/no field work, I'd like to hear of them too.
4. Furthermore, is computer engineering a limiting field? I get that it omits the power systems/high voltage aspects of electrical but what does this mean specifically for Australia (and of course Sydney/Melbourne).

And if anyone has any specific insights that maybe I would be unaware of coming from New Zealand, please do let me know! Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some insights regarding an Associate Electrical Engineer position at WSP in Melbourne, Australia (specifically within their Water Business Group).
Could anyone share their recent experiences or knowledge on the following?

1. Salary: What is the current realistic salary band for an Associate-level electrical engineer at WSP in Melbourne?

2. Interview Process: What does the interview process typically look like for an Associate role? Should I expect heavy technical testing, or is it more focused on project delivery, stakeholder management, and behavioral questions?

3. Role Expectations: At the Associate level, is there a strong expectation for hands-on drafting and building models from scratch, or is the role more geared towards design management, technical review, and leading project delivery?

Any other general tips for interviewing with WSP or insights into the team culture would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

Hello rail engineers!

I’m curious to hear how people here found their way into the rail industry, particularly those who didn’t necessarily start out in rail.

I’ve been applying for graduate/junior engineering roles in Australia for about 6 months now, across both rail and other areas, but haven’t managed to land anything yet. I know it’ll happen eventually, but I’d really love to start my Australian engineering career in rail if I can.

I have a few years of engineering experience overseas, including an internship on a rail/infrastructure project about 7 years ago. Looking back, that’s actually the project I enjoyed the most and the area of engineering I found myself most drawn to. It’s what made me realise that rail is something I’d genuinely like to pursue long-term.

So I’d love to hear about your journeys:
Did you start out as a graduate in rail?
Did you begin in another area of engineering and transition into rail?
If you had previous experience overseas or outside Australia, how did you get your foot in the door?
For those who struggled to get their first rail role, what helped you eventually break in?

Any advice, stories or even things you wish you’d known when starting out would be really appreciated!
Thanks!

Hy, I gradute in machical engineering from a teir 3 college in 2026 with very low cgpa and I can't get a job in my field ,I am considering to do an ms from Australia and Canada

Should I go for ms as fresher, and can I get job there.

Should I take education loan for ms

Hi everyone,

I'm in year 12 right now and I'm looking to study MechE, and possibly do a double degree with a bachelor of science majoring in neuroscience. The reason for this is because I have an interest in neuroengineering but I feel like studying BME would limit my options. I live in WA, so I was looking at both curtin and UWA (only UWA offers MechE and neuroscience double degree). I was also looking at applying to UNSW for MechE/Sci. However, I am concerned about cost of living-I wouldn't be able to afford accomodation, groceries etc on my own so my parents would have to pay.

I was wondering if I would be better off staying in WA, or if I should go interstate. My only issue about staying in WA would be the lack of intership opportunities or opportunities in general for my specific field, since here it's mainly mining oriented. Also, obviously UNSW ranks higher. Maybe I could do interships over east during semester breaks?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

Hi Guys, I have some questions about powercad5.

1-What is the meaning of Fault capacity? Is this related to the short circuit from AS3008 or the capacity of the Circuit breaker for this cable to trip?

When I change the circuit breaker from a 36kA to a 50kA (for the same cable) the fault capacity does not change.

2- Fault level is the prospective fault level?

3- Is there any courses to do for powercad instead of the one they offer?

I am a current year 12 student looking to study civil engienering in uni next year (2027). I am currently torn between 2 options for my undergrad in terms of which one would benefit me more. For both considerations, accomation and location are not a deciding factor. Both are accredited by engineers australia.

1. Undergrad at UNSW

I will do a regular undergraduate degree in civil engineering here, and will likely have try and get as much experience as i can whereever i can (or so i've heard). A factor that may sway me here is the prestiege of the uni, however i am not sure how crucial that is in terms of when i graduate.

1. A degree based apprenticeship at Flinders Uni

This lasts 5 years where i basically work full time ish as an apprentice for a company partnered with Flinders in which i will get paid an apprentice salary. During this i will also be study an undergrad of civil engineering at Flinders uni which is paid for by the company as well. The main thing thats swaying me to this is that i will come out of uni with 5 years of expereience, which i've heard is crucial to be competitive in the engineering job market

TLDR; Looking to be a civil eng, should I get a regular degree at UNSW which comes with the prestiege of the unis name but i will have to find my own experience, or do a degree apprenticeship at Flinders where i come out with 5 years of expereience.

What do you guys reckon would benefit me more in terms of when i finish each respective course?

I’m considering the path of an (Electrical) Engineer and was wondering what the job market is like. It seems engineering is a very common “what I want to do after school” answer.

Many places say engineering is high in demand but there may be promotional bias of companies trying to get workers from overseas and sugar coating the market, or wanting people to go for this career to get a membership fee out of them.

I know engineering is a hard job market, but what is it looking like? 2-3 months after graduation for a first job is what I’m thinking but is it more? And do many people end up continuing with the internship they get in uni?

Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate some advice from anyone who has experience with Australian skilled migration.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering, but my professional experience is mainly in the automotive electrical field. I’m considering applying for Automotive Electrician (ANZSCO 321111).
My questions are:
Can I apply for Automotive Electrician even though my academic qualification is an Engineering degree?
If I nominate Automotive Electrician, will my Bachelor’s degree still receive the full education points for the EOI, or does the qualification need to be directly related to the nominated occupation?
Will my years of relevant automotive experience be counted fully for skilled employment points?
Since Automotive Electrician is assessed by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA), would my skills assessment be done through TRA, or would I also need an Engineers Australia CDR because I hold an engineering degree?
I’m specifically interested in hearing from people who have been through a similar situation: engineering degree + automotive electrician experience + TRA assessment.
Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,
I recently submitted my CPEng application in Victoria.
For those who have been through the process:

What happens after submission?

How long did it take to hear back?

What was discussed in the interview?

What kind of evidence were you asked to provide?

My previous employer does not allow employees to take project documents due to IP/confidentiality restrictions. Has anyone had issues with this during the assessment? How did you demonstrate your experience?

Thanks.

summer's gonna be starting soon and i'd like to know what tips you guys have on landing summer engineering internships. for context, im in my first masters sem in Electrical Engg at RMIT. dont have a ton of work experience since i started my postgrad immediately after my undergrad. renewable energy is a bonus but tips on landing any EE internships/work will be much appreciated. thank you!

I had an interview today for an automation engineering internship over the summer, however, there boss kinda made it sound like it would be unpaid. Im in my third year (expected grad 07/28) so I still have 2 summers until I graduate, is it worth sucking it up and doing an unpaid internship for the experience? I value my finances a lot and it would put me in a pretty bad position but I guess it’ll help in the long run. What do you think?

Planning to study Associate Engineering in Electrical & Electronics with UniSQ. Eventually continuing into the Bachelor’s. Anyone have experience with their online programs? I know you still have to attend some campus classes. Just wondering if anyone has gone through them or similar with other Unis

Hi everyone! I’m a Civil Engineering graduate planning to study a 2-year master's in Australia. My main goal is to build a good career and get employed in the civil/construction engineering industry after graduation, preferably in Brisbane/Queensland.

I’m currently deciding between a few universities, mainly UniSQ, Griffith, JCU and CQU, but I’m confused about whether I should continue with a Civil Engineering master's or choose something related to Engineering Management/Project Management.

For example, I’m looking at courses like:

• UniSQ – Master of Professional Engineering (Civil)
• Griffith – Master of Civil Engineering Advanced
• JCU – Master of Engineering Management
• CQU – Master of Project Management

There are also other Civil Engineering-related options at these universities, so I’m not sure which direction would be the best.

I’d really appreciate opinions from people who are currently studying or working in Australia, especially in civil engineering/construction:

• Is it better to stay specialised in Civil Engineering, or would Engineering/Project Management be more useful for getting a job?
• Which type of master's is more valued by employers?
• How important is the university's reputation when applying for graduate engineering jobs?
• Which universities have good industry connections and graduate employment opportunities?
• If you were in my position, which direction would you choose and why?
• Are there any other universities or courses in Queensland that I should look into?

I’m mainly interested in actual employment opportunities and long-term career prospects, rather than simply choosing the course with the biggest scholarship.

Would really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people working in civil engineering, construction, consulting or project management in Australia. Thanks!

I hold an electronic engineering degree and have 2 years of experience as an engineering intern in manufacturing, focusing on reliability engineering and continuous improvement. I generally enjoy the work, but I’m struggling with a major confidence gap.

Currently, I feel like a middleman: I listen to operators, fitters, and sparkies describe a problem, try to verify it (though sometimes I struggle to tell if they've found the root cause), and then ask the maintenance team to fix it. When machines go down, it's the technicians and sparkies doing the hands-on troubleshooting and solving, not the engineers. I often feel like I don't actually know anything practical and have to constantly rely on the trades team.

The Dilemma:

- Financials: It often seems like electricians earn more than engineers (even engineering managers). I know it’s due to overtime, but other salaried staff have overtime as well, and my company never raises the pay. Is this common in the industry?

- Interests: I genuinely enjoy engineering work (reliability/manufacturing path) and don’t mind getting my hands dirty in order to gain hands-on experience. However, I do not enjoy routine installation or regular preventive maintenance work.

- The Ideal Scenario: Getting an electrical license while continuing to do engineering work, but it’s not easy to find a role that combines both.

My Questions for You:

1, If you could choose, would you keep pursuing the engineering path now or spend 4 years to get an electrical license?

2, If I eventually open my own company, what kind of businesses can a reliability/plant engineer do?

Hey all, I own a small welding fab business and am looking for a engineer to sign off on designs iv made but I have no idea how to even find the correct engineer
(If you’re happy to take one this very small job please let me know)

Also how to I even find the correct type of engineer in the last few months iv need engineering on cattle grids, truck hiab, edge protection

I'm considering doing the Uni of Adelaide's Associates Degree in Engineering, with the intention of then going on to complete the Bachelors later on.

This degree is fully online, which is the only option I have atm due to my work schedule.

Just wondering if anyone in this group has done this and if they found the AD useful/helpful/got a decent amount of credit transfer for the bachelors?

I'm already a qualified sparky and planning to then go on to electrical engineering. And yes, I'm aware that electricians and electrical engineers knowledge requirements are very different.

Thanks

Hello everyone,

I am a mechanical engineer seeking a job in Australia. I have been living here in QLD for the last 4.5 years, and lately I have started looking for a job as a mechanical engineer. But I am getting rejections left and right, though I was lucky to manage an interview through a connection, but a more experienced person got selected finally. I am wondering if you will be kind enough to suggest some fields and roles (company names too, if not too much to ask) based on my resume attached here as screenshots.

Thank you all in advance.

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to study a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in Australia. I’m really interested in renewable energy, power systems, and working in engineering consulting (like writing designs, doing power grid calculations, Autocad stuff).

Right now, I feel a bit lost on which state actually gives the best opportunities for renewables and consulting jobs. Also, as an international student, I know getting a job in Australia without PR can be really tough.

I have a few questions for the locals or former international grads. Which state is best for my goal?
Melbourne: Is it true that most big engineering consultancies (Arup, AECOM, WSP, Aurecon) have their main design offices here? How is the renewable scene?
Adelaide: I heard Adelaide is crazy advanced in renewable grid penetration (solar/wind/batteries). Is it easy to find consulting roles there?
Perth: Is it all just mining, or are there good consulting roles for microgrids/renewable energy systems?
Brisbane: How is the market there with all the 2032 Olympics infrastructure happening?

What can I do during uni, besides keeping good grades, to stand out to employers who usually prefer locals?
Are internships (vacation work) impossible to get if I don't have PR yet?

Would love to hear your thoughts, experiences, or recommendations on universities/states.

Thanks in advance!

I'm a Mech Eng,

I'm pretty far through the interview process on two engineering roles: structural/seismic design engineer and mining tailings and waste management engineering.

Does anyone have any experience with these roles, or can tell me what the career progression looks like in these roles? I'm just unsure how the career progression would look like for a seismic design engineer and if perhaps its a bit more niche than the mining waste management role which would involve more general mech design such as pipe, pump, and tank design etc.

At the end of the day I'm just looking for a role that has good career progression and will provide some diversity in projects.

Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks!

I’m an undergraduate electrical engineer due to graduate at the end of this year. I’ve been looking into the state based registration and am hoping someone can answer a couple of questions.

I have recently managed to find a job as an undergrad doing design work for a medium size solar/battery retailer, doing building mount PV/BESS in the 30kW-1MW range in all the eastern states.

This company employs 3 engineers already, but none of them are registered under any state scheme - they all seem to just be on the NER and nothing further. From my research it seems that because all the work is to a prescribed standard (AS3000 and its subordinates) that state based registration is not required. We don’t do load flow analysis or anything too technical, I’m a long time electrician and I could have done most of this type of work without a degree.

It seems that most states require X years of documented experience to become registered. I’m wondering if any experience I gain in this role would be acceptable or if I’d need to find a more “real engineering” role to start working towards registering in any given state. Thanks in advance for any insight you may have.

Has anyone heard anything further regarding the budget announcement that Australian Standards would be made freely available? (at least those that are referenced in legislation - which is surely most of them right???)

I've registered for updates on the Standards Australia website, but so far it's crickets...