I applied for a placement role with Makino Milling Machine Co., Ltd. in Tokyo and was happy to receive the job offer. Around the same time, my study abroad placement got approved too, so everything just aligned perfectly. I’ve always wanted to live in Tokyo to experience a completely different culture, try a new way of living and meet people from all over the world. It ended up being all of that and so much more.

Firstly, I completed a 5-month study abroad opportunity at Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo. While there, I picked up the basics of programming with Python and C++, which ended up being super useful for my current design and front-end engineering role at Intropic. Learning about Japanese culture and getting a handle on the language also made stepping into my placement a lot smoother.

I then spent seven months as a Junior Designer at Makino Milling Machine Co. My main job was supporting the user interface (UI) design for their machines but I also got to work on some exciting future concepts involving VR and game design elements. What really set me up for my career wasn't just the role itself but working alongside my manager at Makino - Jeremy Cane, who is former student of Loughborough University. I learned a lot from him—he taught me the core fundamentals every solid designer needs and showed me how to take a concept from initial idea to execution using CAD software.

Loughborough reached out with check-ins every couple of months to see how I was getting on and if I needed any help. It was really reassuring knowing the University had my back throughout the experience and was keeping an eye on things to make sure everything stayed on track.