Getting your first job in manufacturing

UK manufacturing is a big sector and getting your first job in manufacturing can feel overwhelming. To begin with, it might be useful to research the sector and consider whether there’s a specific area you’d like to go into. Here’s our top tips for getting your first job in manufacturing.

With an annual output of £192 billion, the UK remains the 9th largest manufacturing nation in the world. According to Make UK, manufacturing makes up 11% of gross value added, directly employs more than 2.6 million people, accounts for 45% of total UK exports, represents 69% of business research and development, and provides 13% of business investment. 
We’re a world leader in aviation, second in the world in defence and still have a large automotive industry. We’re also a big investor in British construction, nuclear, steel and plastics – and let’s not forget chemical and pharmaceutical! 

So manufacturing is a great sector to start or develop your career in, with lots of varied job opportunities to consider. Try visiting websites like National Careers Service or Prospects to read through role profiles and learn about what the different jobs involve.

Once you’ve found your niche through research, personal interest or your studies, here’s our top tips on getting your first job in manufacturing:

Get a hobby

If you have already studied and researched manufacturing-based skills and jobs, it’s obvious that you want to go down the production route. You should turn it into a hobby and expand on it overtime. Try building websites, computers or even fix cars. Design things with plastics, textiles or steel. Learn to use basic hand-tools or find out about how different machines work.

The more valuable skills you learn in your spare time, the more confident and eager you will be in the long run.

Get some contacts

You should start off by creating a professional profile on LinkedIn. If you have just come out of education, try and connect with your lecturers/teachers as they can give you a brilliant reference as well as pointing you in the right direction. You should use social media to your advantage as it can land you a job quickly when you show the world that you are a passionate, eager and skilled individual. Once you have found connections, make sure you maintain them. 

Get work experience

Use your connections – online and through friends, family members, neighbours, careers advisors etc. – to try and find a work placement or internship. Even just speaking to someone who works in the manufacturing sector to find out more about what a typical day involves will be useful.

There are many opportunities available to gain work experience from traineeships, or you could even consider starting an apprenticeship. This is a great way to develop skills, get experience, earn qualifications and be paid at the same time.

Get some contacts

You should start off by creating a professional profile on LinkedIn. If you have just come out of education, try and connect with your lecturers/teachers as they can give you a brilliant reference as well as pointing you in the right direction. You should use social media to your advantage as it can land you a job quickly when you show the world that you are a passionate, eager and skilled individual. Once you have found connections, make sure you maintain them. 

Get the correct Information

If you have landed an Interview, it’s always good practice to research the company beforehand. Get to know all their current information and history. Even research their competitors and start to think about how you could change the dynamic of the company in a positive, innovative way. The more you know about the company, the confident you will be during your interview. 

Personalise your application

Unless you’re 100% certain your set on what you want to do within the manufacturing sector, you will probably be applying to multiple different companies that specialise in different things. Keep on track of your applications by personalising your CV and cover letter for each position. 

If you apply to 2 jobs for the same company, try to alter your application slightly as the employer will pick up on this and it will show you aren’t thorough. Change things like the skills and match them to the requirements. Adhere to the company’s values and techniques and try to use buzzwords you’ve seen on their website. 

Change is happening

Manufacturing is a world of constant change. You will need to display your awareness of changes and be willing to adapt. Keep up to date with the latest trends and news. For example, Health and Safety is an area that’s constantly changing for diverse work environments. You need to so some digging and find the basics. 

In conclusion, manufacturing is like other sectors. Although you will need the correct skills usually learnt from higher education or apprenticeships, you can learn a lot yourself with help from the internet and you can turn it into a hobby to improve your skills. 

Get started and stick at it. A career in manufacturing can offer fantastic opportunities for training and professional development, higher than average salaries, diverse career prospects and interesting work. Putting the effort in at the start to get your career on track could make a real difference in the years to come.

Take a look at our local Career Guide to find out more about starting a career in manufacturing here in Stockport. Find out what we make locally, entry requirements for your first job in manufacturing and where this could lead, as well as exploring local employers.