During my placement year, I worked as a researcher and a product lead in an automotive/technology consultancy SME. My key responsibilities include project management, market research, report writing and product quality control/proof-reading. I was tasked to collaboratively manage an international cross-departmental team for a new product, from project planning to resolving unexpected issues. As being a collaborative product lead was the most valuable, challenging and rewarding part of my placement experience, I based my placement report on project management for the Diploma in Industrial Studies, which formed a part of my degree. My other achievements include representing the company at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show and creating a novel product quality improvement tool for internal use at the company. My year out in industry has given me a taste of technology, engineering, and business in the real world and hence, allowed me to better position myself in future career planning.

My BEng degree had a huge emphasis on the business and management aspects on engineering in additional to the materials engineering and science modules. This has allowed me to learn more about business since the first year of my degree. On my placement year, I worked in project management for half a year; this has both extend the learnings from my degree and complemented any third year business modules I undertook after my placement year. My degree has also opened many doors to other engineering disciplines and supported my career change into design. A summer bursary scheme I undertook at Loughborough University in biomedical product design in my first year has enabled to take my first step into the world of design and given me insights on what a day in a product designer’s job looks like.

Key skills that I have learnt and developed during my degree include communication, presentation, business awareness.