LEARNING THE ROPES

Currently, Yew Jin is busy working on the Airbus A350 project. His main tasks involve finding out the root causes of any nonconformance or manufacturing defects that occur during production, and devise a corrective action to immediately rectify the issue. He is also in charge of analysing the assembly processes and execute improvement initiatives to reduce material wastage, cycle times and process inefficiencies.

''In hindsight, I think about 20 per cent of the knowledge gained from lectures can be applied in my current role whereas most of it were from the skills I gained from planning and executing various projects. The third year individual projects at Southampton have taught me the vital skills needed in independent research. It has also equipped me with skills needed in problem solving, project planning, analysing data and more.''

Like any fresh graduate, finding one's field of specialisation is full of challenges. However, with the right education and the right mindset in place, what starts as a venture becomes a promising career.

''My best advice is to not limit yourself when choosing to embark on a career in engineering. Even though I specialise in Automotive Engineering, that did not hinder me from considering a career path in other sectors such as Industrial Engineering, Management, Consulting, or even Sales Engineering, before finally settling with Aerospace Engineering.

''Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and choose something outside of your field of specialisation. These days, it is not unusual for engineers to even venture into small startups and develop a new product/solution for a niche market."