u/Dry_Adhesiveness_820

I'm a Canadian mechanical engineering student (mechatronics concentration), graduating in April 2027, and I've been trying to secure a graduate engineering position in the UK for 2027. My wife is British and lives in the UK. I'm planning to relocate there to build our life together, so this isn't just an attempt to find a job abroad. I'm genuinely looking to establish my engineering career in the UK long term. I've made this clear on my CV, stating that I'm eligible for a UK spouse visa and would not require employer sponsorship. I'm also eligible for the Youth Mobility Scheme, which offers a much quicker route to the UK and would allow me to work for up to three years. That would cover the duration of most graduate programmes.

I've now submitted over 200 applications to UK graduate engineering programmes and entry-level positions. So far, not a single interview. I've received a few online assessments, but haven't progressed beyond that stage.

What's frustrating is that I thought my industrial experience would make me a reasonably competitive graduate candidate.

I've completed six engineering placements across several major industrial companies that are based in the uk too:

• ExxonMobil : Reliability and maintenance engineering at an oil sands operation in Alberta. Working on maintenance strategies, equipment reliability, failure analysis, SAP maintenance data and asset performance.
• Valero Energy: Mechanical engineering at a petroleum terminal, including pump replacements, P&IDs, equipment modifications, commissioning preparation and maintenance systems.
• Rio Tinto : Reliability, mechanical design, preventive maintenance and process optimisation at a metallurgical facility.
• Kruger: Reliability engineering at a pulp and paper mill, including condition monitoring and shutdown maintenance.

Altogether, I'll have approximately three years of industrial placement experience by graduation.

I'm mainly applying to graduate mechanical engineering, reliability, maintenance, asset management and project engineering positions.

I've tailored my CV to individual vacancies, used a two-page UK-style format and tried to match my experience to the advertised responsibilities.

At this point, I'm struggling to understand why I'm not even getting an initial conversation with recruiters.

I'd really appreciate some honest advice from UK engineers, graduate recruiters or anyone who's been through something similar.

Is my Canadian degree putting me at a disadvantage? Are graduate schemes rejecting applicants who haven't secured UK work authorisation yet? Could having six internships actually be working against me for graduate positions? Or is the UK graduate engineering market simply this competitive?

I'm open to relocating anywhere in the UK, including Scotland and Wales.

I genuinely want to understand what I need to change because sending another 200 applications with the same results isn't a strategy.

Thanks to anyone willing to share their experience.

I'm a Canadian mechanical engineering student (mechatronics concentration), graduating in April 2027, and I've been trying to secure a graduate engineering position in the UK for 2027. My wife is British and lives in the UK. I'm planning to relocate there to build our life together, so this isn't just an attempt to find a job abroad. I'm genuinely looking to establish my engineering career in the UK long term. I've made this clear on my CV, stating that I'm eligible for a UK spouse visa and would not require employer sponsorship. I'm also eligible for the Youth Mobility Scheme, which offers a much quicker route to the UK and would allow me to work for up to three years. That would cover the duration of most graduate programmes.

I've now submitted over 200 applications to UK graduate engineering programmes and entry-level positions. So far, not a single interview. I've received a few online assessments, but haven't progressed beyond that stage.

What's frustrating is that I thought my industrial experience would make me a reasonably competitive graduate candidate.

I've completed six engineering placements across several major industrial companies that are based in the uk too:

• ExxonMobil : Reliability and maintenance engineering at an oil sands operation in Alberta. Working on maintenance strategies, equipment reliability, failure analysis, SAP maintenance data and asset performance.
• Valero Energy: Mechanical engineering at a petroleum terminal, including pump replacements, P&IDs, equipment modifications, commissioning preparation and maintenance systems.
• Rio Tinto : Reliability, mechanical design, preventive maintenance and process optimisation at a metallurgical facility.
• Kruger: Reliability engineering at a pulp and paper mill, including condition monitoring and shutdown maintenance.

Altogether, I'll have approximately three years of industrial placement experience by graduation.

I'm mainly applying to graduate mechanical engineering, reliability, maintenance, asset management and project engineering positions.

I've tailored my CV to individual vacancies, used a two-page UK-style format and tried to match my experience to the advertised responsibilities.

At this point, I'm struggling to understand why I'm not even getting an initial conversation with recruiters.

I'd really appreciate some honest advice from UK engineers, graduate recruiters or anyone who's been through something similar.

Is my Canadian degree putting me at a disadvantage? Are graduate schemes rejecting applicants who haven't secured UK work authorisation yet? Could having six internships actually be working against me for graduate positions? Or is the UK graduate engineering market simply this competitive?

I genuinely want to understand what I need to change because sending another 200 applications with the same results isn't a strategy.

Thanks to anyone willing to share their experience.