Despite a weakening economy and global crises, young engineers primarily want to enter the automotive industry. A study commissioned by Wirtschaftswoche shows that jobs in the auto industry are very popular, but many young people also see good career prospects in the aerospace and defense sectors.
Among the sectors surveyed in the study, the automotive industry came out on top. When asked in which industry they would prefer to work after graduation, 42% answered the auto industry. No other sector was mentioned more frequently, representing a 3% increase compared to the previous year. Among young professionals, Porsche ranks first, followed by BMW and Mercedes. However, other established car brands like Audi and VW saw declines.
The aerospace and defense industries have shown the most significant increase compared to the previous year's study. The authors of the study attribute this to the rearmament in the wake of the Ukraine war and the resulting image change of the sector. About 35% of young professionals would like to work in this sector after graduation. Classical mechanical engineering ranks fourth overall, with 38% of the surveyed students aiming to start their careers there. Clear losers in the ranking are the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and education sectors.
Significant Differences Between Men and Women
Another interesting finding of the study is that the contribution to sustainability, which is generally declared a priority for Generation Z, is less important to the young professionals surveyed than expected. Salary, job security, diverse tasks, and the opportunity for professional development are significantly more important.
The study also highlighted how differently male and female engineers set their career priorities. While men predominantly see their future in the auto industry, women are particularly drawn to architecture and urban planning. The defense sector is less attractive to female engineers (6th place) compared to their male counterparts, for whom it ranks third.
There are also differences in expected starting salaries. While young male engineers expect an average annual salary of €56,924, young female engineers expect €47,981.
