If you're a recent engineering graduate and don't know which companies are recruiting for first jobs, the answer is closer than you think: Bosch. Siemens, AscendiAcciona and Mota-Engil are actively recruiting in Portugal for mechanical, electrical, civil and infrastructure engineering positions, and you can find them today on the Company Search tool. Talent Portugal.
👉 Business Researcher Talent Portugal
We know this is the most confusing time in the entire job search. You've finished your degree, all the theory is fresh in your mind, but nobody taught you where engineering companies post job openings for beginners. Let's fix that.
Which engineering companies in Portugal recruit recent graduates?
Bosch, Siemens, AscendiAcciona and Mota-Engil are examples of companies present in Portugal that regularly recruit recent engineering graduates, with programs and vacancies for different specialties – mechanical, electrical, civil and infrastructure.
These five companies are no coincidence. They accurately represent the diversity of the sector:
👉 Bosch has been committed to continuous technical training since day one.
👉 The Siemens It has a long-term culture, designed for those who want to build a career, not just a resume.
👉 The Ascendi We are recruiting in various engineering fields related to transportation infrastructure.
👉Acciona is divided into several areas — Infrastructure, Water, Facility Services — each with its own engineering needs.
👉 And Mota-Engil , one of the largest engineering and construction groups in the country, has operations that extend far beyond Portugal.
Why are engineering companies looking for so much talent right now?
The reason is simple: Portugal trains engineers faster than the market can absorb certain critical specialties, and at the same time loses some of that talent to other countries. The result is a constant demand for recent graduates in fields such as mechanical, civil, electrical, and environmental engineering.
This happens for three main reasons:
- • Growing projects. Infrastructure, energy, mobility, and construction continue to expand in Portugal, and each project requires new technical teams.
- • Team renewal. Many engineering companies have more senior technical staff and actively seek recent graduates to ensure continuity of knowledge.
- • Internationalization. Companies like Mota-Engil or Acciona operate in several countries, which creates opportunities for international mobility right from the first years of one's career.
In practice, this means that the talent shortage is not a problem for companies, it's an opportunity for you.
What doesn't work (and why) when looking for your first engineering job.
It's easy to fall into three traps when looking for your first engineering job, and they all have one thing in common: they treat the process as a numbers game, not as focused research.
- • Apply for everything, without filtering. Sending the same CV to dozens of generic job postings dilutes your application and rarely reaches the right person at an engineering company.
- • Waiting only for job postings. Many engineering companies recruit continuously, outside of active advertising periods; if you only look at published vacancies, you miss half of the real opportunities.
- • Ignoring the culture and type of projects. Choosing a job solely based on the company name, without understanding whether the day-to-day work involves construction, technical offices, or R&D, leads to unhappy recent graduates after six months.
The most effective approach is the opposite: first, figure out what kind of engineering you want to do on a daily basis, and only then look for the right companies for that profile.
Do I need experience to join an engineering company?
No. Most engineering companies in Portugal recruit recent graduates without requiring prior experience, valuing above all academic training, curricular internships, and a willingness to learn on the job.
In practice, what these companies are looking for is evidence of technical skills and adaptability , and this is often built up during the course itself, through curricular internships, practical projects, or participation in academic teams.
Companies like Bosch or Ascendi They have historically had welcoming programs designed specifically for those who are taking their first steps, with dedicated technical support in the first months.
What do you need to do next to find your first engineering company?
If you've come this far looking for a concrete path, here it is: instead of applying blindly, use the... Business Researcher da Talent Portugal all with Filter directly by engineering area., location e type of opportunity – curricular internship, trainee program, or first job.
You can also contact companies directly to see their culture, benefits, and recruitment areas, and figure out which one best fits your profile.
