What our graduates say
Georgina Harvey, MEng Electrical Engineering with Management
I actually enjoyed the final two years of my course the most as it was more tailored to what I was interested in and I had more control over when I worked. The practical work was also more fun as, to an extent, it was down to me to decide how and what to achieve.
The Department was always extremely helpful and full of friendly faces. As I progressed through my course and had contact with more of the staff and PhD students I became less of a face in the crowd and developed more of an informal friendly acquaintance with the people I saw on a frequent basis.
I’m now (2010) an Internal Project Engineer for a UPS company, (uninterruptible power supply). No two projects are ever the same. I will be handed a contract and must deliver the project on time and as much under budget as possible. The projects vary from a small battery replacement and replacing old UPS modules with new ones, to building a new twenty-four module parallel system and expanding the existing live system by adding suitably rated new units and their battery back-up. I’m responsible for invoicing and purchasing, designing suitable layouts of the equipment and ensuring that all the products and labour arrive where they should, when they should and in the correct condition.
I now have over twelve months experience in my present post and have moved on to larger more complex projects. I’m continuing to work towards Project Engineer status and my Chartership.
Harsh Srivastav, BEng Hons in Electrical Engineering
Former President of the University of Sheffield Union of Students
Awarded the annual Chancellors Medal in acknowledgement of his outstanding contribution to University life
My memories of the Department include the good lecturers. For example, the Analogue Circuits lectures were brilliant as the way it was taught made it look easy!. The SHIPS project in 2nd Year, when we were doing engineering consultancy work for a real company, solving real problems, was also one of my best learning experiences. I enjoyed the camaraderie among my cohort mates, and the fact that there were guys from all around the world studying together was just amazing.
When I graduated, I was offered a position as a Graduate Engineering Consultant for a global engineering consultancy firm, WS Atkins, where I worked for a year. During my time there I worked on many engineering projects, mainly in the rail sector. I was then promoted to be an Innovation Manager, driving new ideas within the firm alongside a strategic management project to set up an overseas office.
I’m now (2010) a corporate finance banker with Barclays Plc. I currently work as an Analyst in their Leveraged Finance Team, which involves originating leveraged transactions on the back of mergers & acquisitions and then executing the deal. This includes financial modelling, structuring the transactions, liaising with various stakeholders, namely accountants, lawyers, advisors and the management teams. It’s very often that I find myself sitting in front of the CEO of a FTSE 250 company questioning them on their strategies. I find this the most challenging, but also the most exciting part of my job
Steve Laverick, MEng Electronic Engineering (Communications)
It was always good to have our Department based in the location it is and in a building like the Mappin Building! I remember the feeling that the Department really wanted us all to do well and succeed within the University and also following graduation. The support and understanding that we got from the staff was encouraging and I believe this is reflected in the number of students that stayed on to complete post-graduate qualifications.
I joined the Balfour Beatty Work Place Management Training Scheme, which involved four six-month placements in various parts of the business. My placements consisted of a project management role within the Home Office contract, an environmental role and a management information role in the Royal Mail contract and then an asset management role within the BBC contract. Following this I attained a management position within the technical team at the University Hospital of North Durham contract, before moving on to my current role.
I’m now (2010) the Project and Performance Manager for the mobilisation of Wakefield and Pontefract Hospitals. This is a large PFI (Private Finance Initiative) contract involving the construction of the hospitals and then the Facilities Management for 35 years.
My role involves all the monthly performance reporting to the NHS and developing systems and procedures for when the hospitals open. I’m also responsible for the mobilisation of the car parking service; installation of a Computer Aided Radio System and have been involved in various other projects throughout the set-up of the contract.