Building your career to lead with the Master of Engineering Management

Following on from Where a career in engineering management can take you – recent graduate Sukhpreet Dhaliwal got in touch with us to share her journey. While Sukh completed her degree on campus, her experience and practical tips are useful for anyone considering starting their Master of Engineering Management online.

Sukh is currently working as an electrical engineer in Ōtautahi Christchurch. She credits her master’s degree with supporting her to transition into leading projects and building her career.

First of all, what inspired you to take on a master’s degree?

I had just finished my undergraduate degree in Mechatronics Engineering at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury and was choosing between pursuing an engineering career immediately or upskilling to help my CV stand out.

I was inspired by testimonials from other MEM graduates and wanted that bigger picture view and experience of how engineering projects functioned.

I was also very interested in the exposure with industry professionals the programme offered and the industry experience towards the end in the final project.

The Master of Engineering Management programme was also highly recommended by my mentors and other engineers at my part-time internship. 

You’re currently working as an engineer – how has the MEM helped you?

From the get-go, I’ve found that the MEM degree has helped me fill in the knowledge gaps and allowed me to work well within a large-scale, cross-functional engineering project.

I found the material I’ve been practising in class was directly applicable to contracts, regulations and understanding the constraints around engineering design.

What did you find most helpful or interesting during the degree?

The most interesting part of the degree were the projects we had the opportunity to do with other programmes and academic researchers. We got to sit in on a competition run for the MBA students and conduct a review of the winning business case.

We also had the opportunity to do a market review and analysis for a project about stormwater treatment with an ecologically sustainable, by-product of the seafood industry that several lecturers were working on. 

We’re now offering this programme exclusively online – would you have found it helpful having the ability to study online?

Definitely!

I think having the option to study online would have allowed me to pursue more part-time work.

I’d also have had the freedom to engage with other opportunities like the UCE Summer Startup programme or UC Aerospace Club Level 1 Programme, a 12-week competition to build and launch a rocket, which quite a few of my friends were engaged in.

The online programme would have provided me the balance needed to engage with a wider range of experiences.

What are your goals for the future?

My goals for the future are to tackle and lead challenging projects in my role as electrical engineer. I’m passionate about working on renewable energy and integrating sustainability measures in existing projects. With the complexity and economical constraints surrounding these topics, my MEM background equips me with skills to effectively understand and address these constraints and drive impactful solutions.

I also aspire to contribute to wider engineering organisations like Christchurch Women in Engineering and Engineering New Zealand, where I can leverage the skills that I’ve learnt in the MEM and my career to support the growth of the engineering community.

Thanks Sukh for sharing your journey – we look forward to following your career in the future! Learn more about the Master of Engineering Management and sign up online.