The Upside of a Downturn

5 December 2008 

The current engineering workforce is undergoing many changes from labour shortages to an economic downturn. Despite the evolving economic landscape, there is still a shortage of engineers in Australia. Bayside Personnel, leading engineering recruitment agency, works closely with both engineers and managers, to understand and communicate the requirements and expectations of the role.

Peter Cottee, national manager of Bayside Personnel, says, "The current economic climate will equally impact the engineering workforce and employers. It is still important to recognise that within the global turmoil there are excellent opportunities for businesses to get ahead. As specialist recruiters, Bayside Personnel offers candidates and clients alike extensive networks, industry experience, and a variety of career options."

Networking:

Maintaining relationships with relevant industry associations, colleagues and previous workplace networks can provide lots of careers opportunities. Choosing a recruitment agency that has established partnerships with high-calibre businesses can extend a candidate's network beyond the job placement. Peter advises, "To get the most out of the recruitment experience, we suggest that you stay in touch with your recruiter as networking gives you endless access to information sharing, industry knowledge, and can provide direction for future career opportunities."

Industry Experience:

It is essential that your recruiter has relevant engineering industry experience and educational qualifications. This allows for a detailed assessment of a candidate's skills against the requirements of the role while also accessing the best possible options for candidates. "Having a better understanding of the industry and the technical aspects of the role as specified by the client means we can place candidates in the perfect job," says Peter, "Bayside Personnel's quality staff and tenure, coupled with our longevity in the recruitment industry, allows us to effectively source the right personnel in this niche market." For more than 30 years, Bayside Personnel has recruited within the engineering industry, sourcing personnel for some of world's leading companies within the automotive, construction, and oil industries.

Career Options and Development:

In recent times, Australian businesses have experience a tight candidate-driven market. This has created great opportunities for engineers to advance into different roles within the engineering sector. The global downturn is having a greater impact on all industries alike and during this time, professionals should aim to develop their career and improve the scope of their experience. By obtaining transferable skills across industry or job roles, candidates can be more attractive to prospective employers. Candidates who possess excellent technical, problem solving and communications skills from outside the engineering industry are considered to be more attractive to employers. Hence, employers are increasing their focus on development and providing more on-the-job training.

"There has never been a better time to reinforce networks, seek industry knowledge and examine future career options and development," notes Peter, "This is a crucial time for both the current engineering workforce and employers to get ahead."

Bayside Personnel has a 30 year history in providing engineering and technical recruitment services for many of Australia's leading engineering-related businesses and has experienced firsthand the changes in the industry. Bayside Personnel recruits permanent and temporary engineering professionals within the following industries: mining, oil and gas, civil and structural, construction, water and environment, design and automotive, mechanical and electrical, occupational health and safety. Bayside Personnel recruitment consultants all have relevant industry experience, and understand the technical and resource challenges faced by their clients every day.

For further information, contact Peter Cottee on 02 9919 6900.

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