Traditional building services design skills are currently in high demand in the UK but if ambitious building services design engineers want to enhance their career prospects and aim for top roles in the industry they will be expected to demonstrate certain soft skills as well.

Employers in construction, HVAC services and other technical industries are looking for candidates who can be part of a wider team and have the ability to fit into a modern engineering environment.

What exactly is a modern building services environment? 

In the past a building services design engineer’s CV needed to demonstrate technical experience and qualifications and very little else. Whilst employers will still want to see evidence of this knowledge and expertise, a design engineer’s CV needs to demonstrate an ability to respond to the demands of global operations, the latest BIM software models and masterplanning environments that bring together multiple disciplines and stakeholders.

So how can design engineers add value to their job application?

Teamworking

This isn’t just about working alongside colleagues in an open plan office. Teamworking means being part of a dynamic working environment that includes people of all ages and backgrounds. If you can demonstrate how you have overcome the challenges involved in working with a wide range of people, or as part of a multi-disciplinary team, this will boost your employability credentials enormously.

Communication

Most CVs pronounce excellence in communication but for an employer to believe it you’ll need to give examples of times when you have had to explain yourself clearly and concisely in order to be understood. In today’s collaborative construction environment, communication is an essential skill and not just a nice to have.

Creative thinking

Modern design engineers have to be able to apply their problem solving mentality to a wide range of tasks. Their role is pivotal to a business’s growth strategy and an ability to think creatively to guide and inform product innovation is an invaluable asset.

Negotiation

In the past design engineers were the doers and commercial and customer service staff were the negotiators. The lines have blurred and engineers are often at the forefront of the sales and development process. For this reason, an engineer who is comfortable with negotiation and understand the importance of such skills as part of their role will be a highly desirable job candidate.