Motorsport/Automotive Engineering Job Hunt

[Kezzieboy]

Afternoon, chaps.

I'm currently in my 3rd year (of 4) of an Automotive Engineering degree, and am starting to look for jobs. I'm looking for summer placements at the moment, with a view to graduate employment when I graduate next year.

So, my task for you lovely lads and lasses is to post the names of all the car companies, race teams, and motorsport engineering service providors you can think of. They need to be in the west midlands, really (commutable from a B15 postcode), but if you just post anything and give a location too then I can sort through myself.

I'd really appreciate your help, I've got a pretty big list already, which I'm beginning to send off speculative applications to already, but it's a numbers game and the more I send off the better chance I have of finding something good.

Also, if any of you have any actual contacts at these places, especially if you have direct email addresses for people there, rather than just general enquiries details that'd be perfect.

Thanks in advance,

Kez

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My current list is as follows:

Aston Martin
SAIC
Westfield
Noble
MIRA
Caterham
Radical
Bentley
Lotus
Rolls Royce
Vauxhall
Tata
Leyland
MG
ARRK
Bosch
TRW
PSA
Renault
JLR
GTS Motorsport
888 racing
Airwaves Racing
Honda Yuasa
Denis Welch
Team Dynamics Motorsport

[swampy]

Radical is Peterborough that's over an hour from you.

Get your cv up todate print a few copies out and get up to the auto sport show at the nec next week

[Dum-Dum]

Someone else here does it but try and offer to do voluntary work with a race team at the weekends to get some experience that'll look good on your CV. Youll probably spend most of your time making tea and cleaning but it looks good.

[Kezzieboy]

I'm going to Autosport with UBRacing, the University of Birmingham Formula Student team, so I'll be rinsing that for all it's worth

I realise some of those are more than an hour away, and I'm willing to relocate for the right opportunity.

I've considered that Dum, but that's sort of the wrong end of the market, I don't want to be a spanner monkey, I have enough experience of that from Formula Student anyway. Plus with FS I actually do design engineering, as well as manufacturing and set-up stuff.

[Rippthrough]

You say that, but even Hamilton and Newey spannered their own cars at one point...still do...

If you want to get into a race firm through design side only, you're better off finding someone that has a road side (Ford, Lotus and BMW are pretty good for this), as they'll want you on a design team there before they'll let you move over to the motorsport side of things usually (because you're not watched over as much with far less staff)

[Kezzieboy]

I realise this, but I'm going in as a masters graduate, so I'm hoping my degree is at least worth enough to bypass that bit Like I said, I'm doing all that stuff with Formula Student anyway.

I was hoping you were going to reply, Ripp, got any contacts?

[Niall]

I realise this, but I'm going in as a masters graduate, so I'm hoping my degree is at least worth enough to bypass that bit Like I said, I'm doing all that stuff with Formula Student anyway.

I was hoping you were going to reply, Ripp, got any contacts?

In which case your very misguided. You need to be able to stand out from the crowd of people doing the same course as you and the best way to do that is work experience (not necessarily in the exact role you are training for) so that when you go to companies trying to apply for jobs, you have proved that not only have you got the qualifications but you also have the mentality to work and work well (that is assuming you get a good reference :p).

Don't get too cocky thinking "oh i can just skip that because I've got a degree". There is always people out there that will be better than you at blagging their way into a job so you need to make yourself stand out from the crowd!

[Kezzieboy]

In which case your very misguided. You need to be able to stand out from the crowd of people doing the same course as you and the best way to do that is work experience (not necessarily in the exact role you are training for) so that when you go to companies trying to apply for jobs, you have proved that not only have you got the qualifications but you also have the mentality to work and work well (that is assuming you get a good reference :p).

Don't get too cocky thinking "oh i can just skip that because I've got a degree". There is always people out there that will be better than you at blagging their way into a job so you need to make yourself stand out from the crowd!

We shan't get into the uni argument again, but I have more experience than 90% of my peers, don't worry, I have that covered.

I've worked as an Engineer for a year, I'm heavily involved in formula student and I maintain my own car, most people haven't done anything at all. I'm trying to get the next bit of experience so come graduation next year I'm placing myself up there with the very top graduates in terms of experience.

I've also done plenty of extra curricular stuff, and had several part time jobs, so work ethic isn't an issue either.

[cully]

https://careers.prodrive.com/home.aspx

[Stephen]

What about that new Land drover plant thats opening next year?

[Kezzieboy]

Cheers Cully, they were on my list and disappeared somewhere, so ta for that!

And I've already sent an application off to JLR Stephen, they only take applications to their specific placement schemes.

[samass]

Will you at least take the suggestion to temper that "i've got a degree, qed i am the baws!" attitude? They won't like it, your bosses or your peers, regardless of any justification you have for your opinion, thinking along those lines in general just won't do you any favours.

I would second Chris' volunteering work idea tbh, most of the people I know who have got into their dream job started out volunteering. In fact, come to think of it i can only bring to mind two who did it any other way - one was temping at said company every summer they were at uni, having started at college as a minion; and the other was one whose dad's best mate owned the company, so... If nothing else, having some volunteering work on your CV will demonstrate to any prospective employers that you're as dedicated as you say you are.

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Edit: Posted by poodle, fecking squatters fecking with my pooter!!

[Kezzieboy]

Clearly attitude doesn't come across on a forum, but I'm not like that. Also most of the people I know in engineering went straight into graduate schemes, it's just how it's done now. I can fall back on volunteering if necessary, but paid experience looks better than voluntary, as surely it's a better review of your abilities if someone was willing to PAY you to do a job, rather than just exploiting you as free labour?

The main issue is in motorsport, as with most career paths, networking is everything; it's all about knowing the right people, and coming from where I'm from I have no contacts. The other major thing is interview skills, which I'm working on, but many of my peers have one over me on that due to far better education (some complete retard on my course has got a job with Rolls Royce Jet Engines somehow, despite having no practical knowledge, experience, social skills or enthusiasm, I can only assume it's due to his very expensive education). The way I'm going to succeed is by getting experience, I know that, but there's no point setting my sights at the bottom i.e. volunteering straight away, when there are many paid positions available.

[Rippthrough]

I got offered a job at Derby with Rolls Royce once just because I made the guys in the office up there laugh....networking is always the key.

I know a few people that have come out with masters for automotive/motorsports and I'm afraid the lot of them went into road cars for at least a year or two before either transferring within the companies or moving out to specialist motorsport places.
I know they're after a couple of FEA/Aero guys for the Manor/Virgin F3/F1 teams but I don't think me asking 'Will you hire this bloke who has the same model car as me' will quite cut it

Most of the other smaller will expect you to be on the shop floor most of the time welding and fabricating, spannering and then only sat designing when required - even the likes of Prodrive, etc, don't have many people employed solely for design work. That's where the larger car companies come in if that's role you want to take.
Otherwise, what are you like at fabrication/welding work?

[Kezzieboy]

Yeah, that's what I'm expecting to do, and am very happy to go into road cars to be fair, but it'd be good to try and get an internship with a motorsport company first if possible for networking, as you say.

And I'm not expecting a character reference, email addresses will do I've been discovering recently that when it comes to networking it really is a case of don't ask don't get, you just have to be very confident....so gimme dem emailzz.

I've got an email address for an engineer at AML, and one at SAIC too, so I'm exploiting them for all they're worth, already got some details for people at Vauxhall from the Aston dude

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updated list from this afternoons hunt:

Aston Martin
SAIC/SMTC UK
Westfield
Noble
MIRA
Caterham
Radical
Bentley
Lotus
Rolls Royce
Vauxhall
Tata
Leyland
MG
ARRK
Bosch
TRW
PSA
Renault
JLR
GTS Motorsport
888 racing
Airwaves Racing
Honda Yuasa
Denis Welch
Team Dynamics
Mcmillan Msprt
Turbo Technics
Cummins
Roger Clarke Msprt
Gugliemi Mtrsprt
Tata Technologies
JAM Msprt
Ford
Cosworth
Prodrive
Ariel
Engine D'ments (Judd)
KPM Racing
VW Motorsport
Mountune

Non-auto ones I'm going to apply to anyway:
Centrica
Atkins

[306carter]

Ginetta in Leeds might be worth a shout. Did some work there (installing CCTV) not on the cars. Amazing place.

http://www.ginetta.com/

[Kezzieboy]

yeah, another one I stumbled across today, cheers buddy!

[Rippthrough]

I don't have their e-mails, we just bump into the boss and his kids when he's down the pub for a pint now and again and have a chat.

[Kezzieboy]

Fair enough mate, cheers anyway.

In terms of fab stuff I'm a little rusty (that'll be sorted soon though), but I've got experience on various mills and lathes, a little tig experience (something else I should be addressing soon) and all the usual manual tools. I'm happy to get my hands dirty, just don't want that to be my only responsibility, as it's design that really interests me.

[Tallguy_2]

Total control racing in wednesbury, the biggest Clio cup and ginetta team on the TOCA support, Lee Brookes is the boss

[Kezzieboy]

Awesome, cheers mate!

Anyone know if any of the BTCC teams are West Midlands based?

[Tallguy_2]

Rob Austin racing aren't far

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Eurotech which is Andrew Jordan's team are midlands

[cully]

i think you are being picky
should start at Mc'Ds and work up

[C.A.R.]

Did you ever know Adam over on .net? He is restoring a Land Rover Defender and was building a Cobra kit car?

He did motorsports engineering and was last working with a race team from memory, he's sort of disappeared off the face of the earth since. Maybe try contacting him via email?

[Kezzieboy]

Yeah, I follow his team on facebook actually, I'll track him down.

[aaronshort]

I'm in my first year of automotive engineering.
Come from Devon, go to uni in Coventry
Guessing from your location that you're from Cornwall? and you study at Birmingham. wierd.

Anyway, I'm applying at basically any engineering place for a summer intern ship because id rather do that and get the experience than spend another summer being a f*cking waiter.

Heard back from anywhere you've applied for yet?

BTW; Bosch has LOADS of graduate placements, including a 6 month one: http://www.bosch-career.com/en/uk/joboff...ers_1.html

[RetroPug]

I'm in my final year of an automotive engineering degree.
Good luck with the job search.

[Kezzieboy]

That's cool that there are a few of us. I already have some engineering experience, so I'm hoping to find some automotive specific stuff this summer.

You done any internships retro pug? Is it a masters you've done?

[RetroPug]

Nope, bachelors.
I did a summer working for a motorsport team running a Nissan GTR and doing GT Academy stuff.
I worked as a manufacturing engineer at Ford in Germany last summer (used to live there so can speak German).
& then various short internships including Toyota F1 for 3 weeks when I was 16.

I've got a big hand-in for tomorrow which I'm putting the finishing touches on, then still a reasonable amount of time off so I'm really going to get on the applications from now on.

Thanks for the Bosch tip aaronshort!

[bigcheez2k3]

I believe Ben Jay has been doing a motorsports course at Uni and has now graduated. Maybe try PM'ing him, see if he has any advice.