I’m working as a Graduate Highway Engineer. My daily work allows me to work on infrastructure projects where I can design and manage the tasks given to me. I work on Autodesk designing software like Civil 3D and AutoCAD. My tasks are majorly focused on early career development and helping my immediate peers to deliver the project successfully. I also attend mandatory training assigned to me as a part of my graduate development.

I feel securing an internship on personal recommendation within the University campus will be the achievement I’ll keep reflecting on. It demanded efficient time management and academic planning to complete the internship along side my full-time studies but only because it was within a University Campus and the organisation was very empathetic in their approach I felt comfortable being vocal about my study commitments.

I feel committing to anything other than your full time study commitments is an achievement especially if one is aiming to finish the course with a distinction.

The group work along with report based evidence to prove the knowledge of the course was interesting. My course was very intense given the curriculum it was covering, it was bridging the gap between engineering and managerial aspects of Civil Engineering.

Feeling passionate towards the sector/field/industry counts while hiring a foreign skilled worker in the United Kingdom. It is essential to have references and recommendations which could be UK based for example – working professionals or professors. A recommendation or reference which would paint a picture of your conduct and work goes a long way along with a strong CV. Keep an up-to-date LinkedIn profile with an honest summary and credible certifications.

Careers Network helped to connect with the industry easily by organising Career Fairs, Alumni events and sessions on various topics which was useful in the initial preparation of job search.
Sometimes the most important information is very close and accessible to us but we miss to notice it, so I feel reading the information about the events and sessions offered by CN was very useful. I got the opportunity to be mentored by an University Alumni who was working in the company I’m currently employed in.

The course was designed to bring out the best in you which could make you professionally employable in the market. All the taught modules gave the aptitude to consume and digest new information efficiently. I felt my written and oral communication was improved helping me to explain with a view of brevity and clarity. Research dissertation gave me the ability to find answers to the questions with a tangible output and understand the unknowns in a project, hence my patience and skills were put under a test setting a whole new benchmark. I feel more confident to present myself out there and more aware of the fact that this is a continuous learning trajectory.
The course prepared me by giving me an all round exposure which will stay with me for a long period of time.

After Graduating my journey as a working professional felt less hectic and overwhelming which was the case when I was a student. I feel there is a right balance between the work and personal life. During my weekends I could afford to give time to my hobbies which revolve around enjoying a coffee at a shop with a book or cooking with some good music around. I still keep in track with my learning progress so I look out for new courses or try to learn a new language.