Kalpa from Sri Lanka. From UK Education to Aerospace Engineer
From: Sri Lanka Studied: MEng Aeronautical Engineering with a Diploma in Industrial Studies at Loughborough University Now: Graduate Design Engineer at Zodiac Seats UK
Can you work in the UK after your studies? That's exactly what Kalpa is doing. Originally from Colombo in Sri Lanka, where he attended Ananda College and the Asian International School, Kalpa is now working full time at the UK headquarters of Zodiac Seats, the world's leading supplier of business and first class seats to major international airlines, based in Cwmbran, South Wales. Kalpa explains how his UK education made this possible.
I applied for the graduate programme just after my graduation in July 2015. There was a four- stage selection process. This started with an extended application form, followed by an online assessment, an on- site assessment day and finally an on- site one-to-one interview. Upon successful completion of the selection process, I was offered a choice of two graduate schemes, from which I chose the design graduate scheme, which has four one-month rotations, specialised training related to design and a sixmonth placement in design engineering, as it seemed more related to my academic experience and my personal interests.
The academic knowledge I had gathered at the university and the invaluable experience it gave me of doing an internship with General Electric as a Manufacturing engineer helped me through the first two stages of the selection process. The last part of the selection process was mainly to do with my personal and team-work- ing skills. Throughout my school and university years I was actively involved in societies and organisations which in turn helped me gain people skills, selfconfidence and most importantly the ability to communicate with others.
Getting a place on a graduate programme is extremely challenging, whether you are a foreign student or student from the UK. However, the perks of taking part in a structured scheme are that it improves your skills and gives
you the ideal experience for that company, as well as giving you development opportunities within the company and helping you to make contacts early on.
I visited the careers centre a few times to get a professional opinion about my CV and cover letter. The careers centre at Loughborough University also organised multiple events and sessions to help students in various ways when it comes to securing a job. These include mock tests at mock assessment centres and one-to-one practice interviews, both of which I attended to gain experience.
University life lasts only for a few years, so make sure you don't forget why you’re there. Career planning and job hunting begins as you start university. Keep exploring industry opportunities from your first year onwards and build your contacts with individuals from the industry at careers fairs and events. This gives you a broad idea of the requirements and application processes prior to applying.