jean gill

Step one—rethink everything. Maybe you’re like me, childhood interest in STEM recently re-invigorated, and you’ve erroneously thought that by just starting your first year studying engineering, everything would magically fall into place. That after you graduated, jobs would spring forth fully formed from nothing, and that all you would have to do is step forward proudly, hold out your hand, and wait. But what jobs? What discipline? Where? What am I even doing here?

Well, that clearly isn’t going to work. This is going to take real effort. Let’s figure out what some good options are, and where they might lead over the next few years. So, step two—don’t panic. There are options. Choosing is difficult, of course, but many paths show promise. Job projections for engineering graduates are looking encouraging in Canada and the United States, after all.

Although generally the job market for university graduates with a bachelor’s degree is looking bleak (Nelson & Yang, 2025), that downward trend doesn’t seem to hold for engineering majors (Begg, 2025). Regardless, times are uncertain and changing. Recently, the Canadian economy, which had been experiencing steady growth, has suffered during tumultuous trade relations with the United States (Gellatly & McCormack, 2025), and the Canadian job market has become more competitive as unemployment rates rise (Statistics Canada, 2025). In order to adapt, current students will have to do more than simply cross the finish line. They will also need to develop and practice skills that are becoming more and more necessary in order to outshine their job hunting competition. An article published in the International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education by Jean-Baptiste RG Souppez (2025) highlights important areas for engineering students in particular to focus on that will increase their employability upon graduating. Souppez claims grades alone aren’t enough, and university curriculum has not necessarily evolved to cultivate soft skills like communication, teamwork, and the ability to maintain a positive personal and working attitude. Skills that are essential for landing work and succeeding in a new role. So, on top of trying to maximize my academic performance, I will also need to focus on leveling up my social skills over the next several years. Easy, right?

With all of that in mind, there is some positive news. The Canadian Occupational Projection System has predicted a “moderate risk of labour shortage … over the period of 2024-2033” for mechanical engineers (Government of Canada, 2025a)—meaning more jobs for fewer applicants, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 9% growth in employment for the discipline over the next 10 years—far greater than the average 3% for all occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). As a permanent resident of Canada and an American citizen, this is good news all around. Though, speaking as someone who would prefer to stay on the Northern side of the 49th parallel, I will be focused on optimistic tides appearing at home in British Columbia, where “employment opportunities for engineering professions continue to be strong” with ”demand influenced by trends in the construction industry and major infrastructure projects” (Government of Canada, 2025b); I do like the sound of major infrastructure projects.

Once graduated, having spent the last several years sharpening skills—academic and professional—what is likely to be available as I transition from student to employee? What kind of work is there to be done? Tetra tech, Atkins Réalis, and more all appear promising with current openings for jobs ranging from power and renewable energy control systems, to transportation infrastructure (Atkins Réalis, n.d.), all the way to consulting and working alongside clients in the mining and mineral processing industries (Tetra Tech, 2025). Perhaps further in my career, I may land a job with MDA Space and help work on remotely piloted aircraft that collect data on “fragile ecosystems” and “northern ice floes and shipping routes” (MDA Space, 2025). As a growing hub for tech, British Columbia has a lot to offer (ACEC, 2025), and there are many exciting opportunities to look forward to.

Overall, things don’t look so bad. Bright, even; no need to panic. Obviously, as a first year student, there is a lot of hard work ahead before I start getting too excited about life after university, thinking about which engineering firms are doing what, and where I could get involved in shaping the future. In the meantime, it feels good to see light on the horizon. In times that continue year after year to defy precedent, a childhood dream to make things that help people is still finding its way forward.

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References

ACEC Research Institute (2024, July). Economic assessment and 5-year forecast of the engineering and design services industry in Canada [Infographic]. ACEC. https://acec.ca/files/Advocacy/EconomicAssessmentandForecastJuly2024.pdf

Atkins Réalis (n.d.). Electrical engineering new graduate (British Columbia). https://careers.atkinsrealis.com/job/electrical-engineering-new-graduate-british-columbia-in-vancouver-jid-47814

Begg, R. (2025). Salary & career survey: Mechanical engineering talent is in short supply. Machine Design, 96, 15–17.

Gellatly, G. & McCormack, C. (2025, May 28). Recent developments in the Canadian economy: Spring 2025. Statistics Canada. https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202500500005-eng

Government of Canada. (2025a, January 30). Canadian occupation projection system (COPS): Search for occupational projection summaries (2024-2033). https://occupations.esdc.gc.ca/sppc-cops/occupationsummarydetail.jsp?tid=95&lang=eng

Government of Canada. (2025b, September 16). Mechanical engineers in British Columbia: Job opportunities in British Columbia. https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/2757/BC

MDA Space (2025, October 6). RPAS platform engineering specialist. https://recruiting.ultipro.ca/MAC5000MCDW/JobBoard/664818ff-3594-4bec-9f30-3394e59e19f3/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=80979bde-e027-4f98-80bd-7a52d46d4dbb

Nelson, P., & Yang, B. (2025, October 2). Eligible bachelors: Canada’s newest university graduates face an increasingly challenging job market. Labour Market Information Council. https://lmic-cimt.ca/eligible-bachelors-canadas-newest-university-graduates-face-an-increasingly-challenging-job-market/

Souppez, J.-B. R. (2025). Engineering employability skills: Students, academics,
and industry professionals perception. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education, 53(1), 125–142.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.vcc.ca/10.1177/03064190231214178

Statistics Canada. (2025, October 10). Labour force survey, September 2025. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251010/dq251010a-eng.htm?indid=3587-2&indgeo=0

Tetra Tech. (2025, October 17). Junior mechanical engineer (EIT). https://tetratech.referrals.selectminds.com/jobs/junior-mechanical-engineer-eit-51742

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025, August 28). Mechanical engineers: Job outlook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/mechanical-engineers.htm#tab-6