I got a job! - Aiman's journey with General Electric Renewable Energy, from a placement year to a graduate job

Why did you choose your course?

I have always been interested in tinkering with electronics such as Raspberry Pi and I wanted to pursue a career in renewable energy. After considering all the different engineering options in university, I thought electrical and electronic engineering was the best option as I can learn about renewable energy and work on electronic projects.

What have you enjoyed most about your course?

I enjoyed the wide breadth of labs and projects I got involved with as part of my course. I got involved in designing my own PCB, working on micro-controllers, being able to go into a clean room and creating a LED. I was able to see the theories I learnt applied in real life through these projects and labs.

What advice would you give to a younger student considering studying your course at university?

Take some time to learn how to program and use an Arduino, it can be a fun hobby which allows you to learn how to code. Also to learn more about electronic components and get more interested in engineering projects.

Which company/organisation did you complete your placement year with?

General Electric Renewable Energy

What was your role when you were on your placement year?

Control engineering intern

I eventually would like to become a chartered engineer, and see myself as an industry leader in renewable energy to combat climate change and help produce more clean and sustainable energy.

Ameerul Aiman Bin Shahizam

MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Industrial Placement Year

Did you receive any assistance from the engineering placements team? If so, please can you detail how they helped you?

I received a lot of assistance from the engineering placements team while applying for placements. The team would frequently host employability sessions where they would invite companies to the university to advertise their vacancies which greatly helped me in finding opportunities. The team would also do workshops on how to write CVs, interview and assessment practice which greatly helped me secure a placement.

Please can you talk about the overall experience of taking part in your placement?

The placement was such a good opportunity for me to apply the theories I have learned in university while further developing myself. I have been involved in numerous different projects during my placement ranging from designing some tests for the control system for a HVDC control system, being a team manager for an intern group project focusing on improving documentation efficiency and taking part in STEM engagement events where I would be involved in numerous school visits and company outings. I also got to build connections with industry leaders and gained an insight into the renewable energy industry.

What skills have you gained from your placement year that you'll be taking with you into your studies and future career?

I was able to develop my technical skills in Python programming, MATLAB/Simulink and some other engineering software. Besides that, I developed a lot of my soft skills such as being more confident in public speaking and being able to communicate with a wide range of audiences. I was able to gain experience as a project manager and project planning during my role in the intern group project which greatly improved my time management and team working skills. I also learned to be more resilient and independent with my work and became a more well-rounded engineer.

Why did you choose to study at Sheffield?

While attending the open day, I thought that Sheffield was a really good university for engineering because of the different student-led projects that they had to showcase on the day. The cross-departmental projects such as the Global Engineering Challenge that all engineering students took part in, and just the general facilities that we get access to such as the Iforge where I can use 3D printers and laser cutters. I was also told that Sheffield has a great student life having the number one student union in the UK for numerous years. I got really interested in the societies, social events and general community that Sheffield had to offer.

What are the best things about studying in your department?

The lecturers I have talked to are generally approachable and easy to talk to. They are always open to talking more about the theories they taught. The department also had a good student experience with the EEE society offering numerous socials and activities throughout the year.

What did you like most about the City of Sheffield? Has your time at Sheffield met your expectations so far? If yes, how?

Sheffield is just a nice city to live in; it offers a lot of the conveniences you would normally find in a big city but at the same time does not feel too busy like most cities. Sheffield hosts a lot of events throughout the year such as Christmas markets, food festivals and music festivals. Sheffield is also really close to the peak district where I would often go for hikes to unwind during some weekends.

Have you used any of the careers support services run by the university? If so, how have they helped you?

The careers support service would host numerous workshop sessions ranging from CV writing, interview/assessment practice and personal branding would really help me be more recruitable. The service also helped me get a lot of work experience with the part-time jobs and internships that they advertised.

Are you in any student societies? What do you enjoy most about these activities?

I have joined numerous societies over my time as a student such as the EEE, ethical hacking, photography and beekeeping society. I really enjoyed being able to make friends outside of my course and taking part in activities that I either would not get the chance to or would not even consider outside of university.

Have you got any plans for after you graduate - either in your career or otherwise?

I was fortunate enough to be offered a position from my previous industry placement as a Control and Protection System Engineer, and I intend to go back there to work full-time after graduating.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I eventually would like to become a chartered engineer and see myself as an industry leader in renewable energy to combat climate change and help produce more clean and sustainable energy.