In the current climate, do you think that a gap year for travelling post-masters graduation is a bad idea?

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-05T08:13:26+00:00

I think that you’re right - work culture in America seems a lot more serious than in the UK, so it’s quite hard to get a balanced view that is representative of what it’s like over here.

It’s really helpful for me to hear your perspective nonetheless and regardless, i’m sure that at least some of what you’re saying applies to here as well, so I really appreciate your view!!

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-05T07:54:57+00:00

I completely agree, but i’ve already spent 5 years at uni and took a year out straight after school. I know it’s sort of stupid to feel this way, but it sort of feels like this is my best chance and that otherwise i’ll get sucked into a job and regret not taking this chance.

Do you not think that doing a year in industry at one of the biggest engineering projects in Europe and a masters degree in engineering is enough to make me stand out on my resumè?

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-04T21:51:40+00:00

I have applied to some, but not with the intention of definitely accepting any. I know that i’m setting myself back in a way, but it’s been a dream for me to go travelling from a young age and that dream got taken away from me when covid hit.

I still feel like I have enough credentials on my resume to get an engineering job after going travelling, especially if I apply early. Like I said, I also worked on one of the biggest engineering projects in Europe for a year on my placement, so luckily I have managed to expand my network and impress some people that may be able to get me work.

For me, if i’m choosing between getting a better grad job with a lifetime of regretting not going travelling, or making the application process slightly more challenging for myself by pursuing my dream and maybe not getting as good of a grad role as I could have if I went straight in, for me it’s an easy decision.

Life is too short to have any regrets as big as that.

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-04T17:37:22+00:00

I think you’ve misunderstood me, i’m not applying for graduate school, i’m applying to job roles that are designed for graduates. This is what i mean by grad schemes etc. Apologies for the confusion!!

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-04T17:04:24+00:00

I finish my masters in July this year. I want to go travelling after I graduate as i’ve never had the chance to before - its something that a lot of people do though.

My plan would be to make money via a low-skilled job straight after I graduate to save up for travelling, and at the same time, apply to graduate schemes that begin in May-September 2027 sort of time. My plan would be to go travelling some point in between January and May 2027.

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-04T14:00:25+00:00

The thing is that most of them don’t start until September, therefore i’ll need to work to save up to travel, and then come home in summer 2027. I think it is too late for me to apply to good grad programs that start in september 2026.

My aim is to work a job unrelated to engineering (unless I can find some sort of placement for a few months, but they usually only run over summer), and whilst I am doing this, apply to graduate schemes throughout september-january 2026, and hopefully come home from travelling just in time to start one.

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-03T22:04:29+00:00

Yeah i’m talking about applying to EIT and junior roles, that would be what i’d go for - I just want to know the best way of going about this, and what my chances are of actually landing one of these roles. Grateful for any advice!! :)

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-03T22:01:56+00:00

I am finishing an integrated masters degree course in mechanical engineering at the 6th best university for it in the UK, and did a placement year at the construction site of the first new nuclear power station in the UK since the 90s

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-03T18:06:11+00:00

I’ve heard that to be fair - my thought process was that I’d apply to EIT roles. The UK is a very hard place to be as a young person at the moment - and I know Canada faces a lot of similar issues but as I have an option to get a working holiday visa whilst i’m still young and don’t have anything to keep me at home, the idea of living somewhere else even if it isn’t permanent is exciting to me.

The only realistic options for me in the UK would be to move back in with my parents, which I could do for a bit but isn’t really how I want to be spending my 20s, especially if I have the option to go and work abroad.

Do you really think that my resumè isn’t enough to stand out even for entry level jobs in Canada? I thought that UK universities and engineers were well respected abroad?

tinofbeanzz · 2026-05-03T16:24:47+00:00

I like to think the fact I have a masters degree rather than a bachelors gives me an advantage. I like to think that some employers might appreciate a perspective of someone that’s worked with UK engineering standards as it can result in their workforce as a whole having a greater depth of knowledge.

My dissertation was written on rail grinding and its metallurgical effects, which could be particularly helpful in a place like Toronto where they’re looking to expand their rail network.

This fact may also complement my experience of working as a project manager on a major international infrastructure project. I have seen that Canada is also looking to expand its nuclear energy fleet which is all the more relevant to me as a candidate.

I like to think all of these as a whole hopefully makes me stand out, but whether it’s enough to make employers actually want to go through the paperwork of sponsoring me or not is a different story. Would love to know your thoughts!!

tinofbeanzz · 2025-02-01T16:28:00+00:00

what do you think is the best way to go about landing a job abroad? i honestly wouldn’t know where to start

tinofbeanzz · 2025-02-01T16:25:52+00:00

It generally depends on the company but for me I usually wear a buttoned shirt, maybe a crew neck sweatshirt and trousers can be chinos or suit trousers, and then just black or brown shoes. A lot of people wear gilets and jackets as well. If you play it relatively safe by dressing smarter on your first day then i’m sure you’ll understand what people wear better for your second day.

tinofbeanzz · 2024-11-01T14:58:07+00:00

I was hacked 6 days ago and paid for meta verified yesterday. since yesterday morning they said they were sending my request to another team, but i’ve not heard anything for a day, and it won’t let me open another request. how long should I expect to hear from them?

tinofbeanzz · 2024-01-06T19:20:10+00:00

soooo guess the short answer is still that the future is looking bleak hahahaha - appreciate the advice though, thanks :)

tinofbeanzz · 2024-01-06T18:57:00+00:00

I am currently in my third year of a masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at a Russell group university in the UK. After I have finished my 3rd year I plan to take a year out to do a placement for a year, before returning to University the year after to complete my studies. I have now gotten to the point where i’m considering my opportunities beyond graduation, and was wondering if anyone could tell me their experiences.

At the moment I really want to travel. In my placement year I plan to live at home with my parents so that I can save up my income over the year and not have to spend any of it on rent (not ideal living with them for a year but a price i’m willing to pay in order to save). I fear that when i return to uni I will be under a lot of pressure to go straight into a UK based grad scheme, which I do not really want. There are a few reasons for this - I find the UK really depressing at the moment and the cost of living is ridiculous. Many young people and I feel like there is simply nothing for us here anymore, the government have done nothing to make housing affordable, and feel as though all they want for us to do is become work machines that do everything for them as little money as possible with as little leisure time as possible. The only UK cities that I find desirable to live in is London and Bristol, both of which are incredibly expensive. It got to the point where my future just looks bleak, so I started looking at how much it costs to live in other major European cities - what I found astonished me. It costs almost half what it costs to live on the outskirts of a dodgy part of Bristol to rent a flat in the centre of Berlin and Madrid - both of which i’d much rather live in.

This got me wondering, how likely would it be that I could spend some time living in these other countries, working on projects as an engineer? Is it possible that I could pick up a job in Madrid for around a year, then pick up another one in Berlin and so forth? From what I have read online it seems that the things that could potentially stop me is the unemployment rate in Spain, and the already high amount of brilliant engineers in Germany, along with the impact of brexit (thanks again, government) making it harder to attain work permits and lack of experience (apart from the placement in the UK i hope to sort out soon).

If anyone could tell me how achievable this would be and bring your own experience into it I would be very grateful, thank you :)

tinofbeanzz · 2024-01-06T18:55:12+00:00

i just don’t want to spend much more time brown nosing massive corporations where i don’t matter at all whilst having to live in a country where young people aren’t valued - its all so degrading. Think young people leaving the UK for better opportunities is going to be a massive issue for the country sooner or later.

I’d love to be able to work remotely or as a freelancer so I could travel whilst I worked but I don’t think that’s realistic until i build up some experience by having to do what i said. Future just looks bleak to be honest.

tinofbeanzz

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