Mr Thomas Offer
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Year of Graduation: 2010Title of Degree: MEng (Hons) Electronic and Electrical EngineeringDept: Electronic & Electrical EngineeringJob title: Hardware DesignerEmployer: CommAgility |
Your background:
I have always been technically minded and favoured Maths and Physics at school. Engineering seemed the best fit for this and I was able to view a number of engineering faculties at an open day. I chose electronic engineering as it was the most interesting and varied, with a wide range of practical projects carried out by students. I was very sure about it - electronic engineering was all that appeared on my UCAS form! I chose Loughborough for its strong links with industry and sandwich course options, both of which I hoped would improve my employability as a graduate.
Where are you now?
I work for a small startup company (CommAgility) in Loughborough in the field of hardware design. I had a broad range of interests in my course at university, so working for a small company is ideal as my role is a versatile one. I'm involved in all aspects of hardware design including drawing schematics, PCB layout, thermal and mechanical considerations and testing and debugging. In addition to this I develop complex firmware for the boards I design and even get involved with writing software to test everything with! I'm learning on a daily basis and will be getting involved in even more roles in the months and years ahead.
How did you get there?
My graduate position is a result of a placement I undertook with CommAgility in the summer before my final year. I initially approached the company with an interest in firmware design and was able to tackle a discrete project with full responsibility for its outcome. During the project I was encouraged to broaden my skills and became involved in hardware design based on my successful firmware development. I received fantastic mentoring and learned a huge amount.
Loughborough University always placed an emphasis on industry and a placement year in the middle of my degree was crucial in developing my understanding of the “real world”. Regular careers fairs enabled me to be mindful of the types of roles that were available in the industry and to focus my studies towards real jobs and objectives.
Where are you going?
I'm very happy with my current career. Being in a small company is great; I'm involved in a wide variety of work and my contributions make a real and tangible impact on our products. I'm being given increasing responsibility and hope in the future to lead teams of engineers. It's important to me that I remain technically focussed and I therefore aspire to the role of principal engineer.
What if anything would you have done differently during your time at Loughborough University to help you prepare better for your career/life upon graduation?
Given the opportunity, I wouldn't change anything I did at university. I had a fantastic five years and have graduated with a great degree, a great career and great friends.
What advice would you give to a student studying your subject at university now?
Take every opportunity for industrial placements. You gain skills and experience there that you can never learn in lectures and they can really boost your academic performance, too. Attend careers fairs and talk with any relevant companies - getting excited about what you can do in industry is the perfect way to focus your efforts.
Study hard and take pride in what you do, but make sure you find time to relax too!