The recent COP28 brought measures meant to triple renewable energies by the year 2030, making it an incredibly exciting time to study Electrical Power Systems Engineering.
However, there still is a severe global shortage of Electrical Power Systems engineers, which means that a degree in this course will be very useful for your prospects, whether you wish to study a PhD or go straight into an industry role.
The lecturers at the University of Birmingham provide us with valuable knowledge, which is acquired by going over the concepts using up-to-date examples straight from the industry and the field, helping us understand the topic in a current manner that will come in handy as we step into our professional lives. But they also prepare us for job interviews as part of the modules. I have attended interviews very well prepared thanks to the course material itself, but also thanks to the mock interviews and workshops we attend in class.
The University’s Careers department specialises in CVs, interviews and everything related to the job market in general. However, given that Power Systems Engineering is a very niche field, the tips we are given on how to update our CVs by the lecturers have been extremely helpful, on top of the Careers department’s guidance. When I started my studies, I was eager to start applying for internships and placements, but I kept getting rejection upon rejection. Although I used the University’s CV checker to make sure it was OK, it was still lacking for such a specialised field.
By the end of the first semester, the updates to my CV as per the recommendations of the lecturers landed me three interviews with big companies in the Energy sector, and I have two confirmed job offers with start dates at the end of my degree. We still have six months to go before the academic year comes to an end, which means I have learned only half of what I need to know as a Power Systems Engineer, and yet that knowledge is already good enough for the industry.
This is a very exciting field with opportunities literally everywhere, given that almost all companies are either transitioning completely to renewable energy, or they are currently making their processes more sustainable. Either way, the services of a Power Engineer are invaluable.
The course’s programme is really designed with the needs of the industry and your future Engineer self in mind, so do not hesitate one bit to apply for it because you will certainly not regret it and your career will thank you.