Service Engineering in Scotland, a closed shop?

A service engineer recently asked me why he had struggled to break into the Healthcare industry in Scotland when an ex-colleague of his in the South East had looked for half as long and had been successful. So this got me speculating:

Why would Scotland want and need an experienced pair of hands?

Lower density of people means a lower density of hospitals and labs and therefore much smaller engineering teams. These small teams might struggle to give structure and support to new starters and those learning the ropes. Often the head office or management are south of the border so all product training and management costs increase drastically. Micro-management for first months is impractical, adding to the expectation of hiring managers regarding experience. 

Why is further south different to hiring in Scotland

Training a new hire is easier in the south with manager’s close by and experienced Engineer buddy systems set up for the training months, meaning settling in is much smoother. Also because of the decrease in training and management costs, attention turns to other attributes resulting in engineers from different backgrounds can enter the business if they fit the company profile.

What does this mean for the companies hiring in Scotland?

In small or niche industries, hiring in Scotland becomes very tricky indeed, giving experienced engineers more power over companies who are selling the opportunity to engineer. If you only have one or two relevant applicants then confirm their interest and engagement with an interview or early conversation. They might be the only two relevant candidates that apply so it is important to keep them on board while the background search continues. Also look outside the industry for the “best of the rest” and use them as a comparison, the comparison being, would they bring something new to this position that outweighs industry knowledge?

For those hoping to enter the Healthcare market in Scotland, what can be done?

Keep at it, opportunities to interview will arise and then they do disprove the worries outlined above. How quickly have you adapted/trained in the past? What have you done to learn the healthcare equipment? Have you asked current engineers about the market and clients?

A strong performance at interview will show evidencing into the research of a company and the profile they employ. What you can bring to the role can result in selling yourself into your new dream role.