成人论坛

What inspired you to join the scheme?

When I was at Sixth Form, I was bombarded by the idea of going to University and once I’d figured out I performed better in practicals than exams in pretty much all of my subjects, I realised it wasn’t for me. I saw the course online and submitted an (admittedly hastily compiled) application minutes before the midnight deadline. A huge part of the appeal was potentially working for such a renowned and well known organisation. I certainly didn’t expect to get to interview, never mind actually get a place on the course!

Have you always wanted to be an engineer?

No, I think I only realised I wanted to be an engineer once I’d already started on my journey to become one. When I was younger I wanted to be everything under the sun – from astronaut to archaeologist, doctor to physicist, artist to singer, I could never settle! While a lot of things appealed to me, one thing was always certain, whatever I wanted to do, I would never stop asking questions. I think that’s one of the important things about engineers, they’re all always curious. Never have I met an engineer who doesn’t like asking questions, and it’s definitely the way to do things.

Has the scheme lived up to your expectations?

The scheme has not lived up to my expectations; it has exceeded them by a large margin. When starting I could never have anticipated the magnitude and worth of the experience it would give me, alongside the friends I would make and the teaching I would receive. The whole three years have been magical and in truth, probably the best years of my life (so far).

Any high points?

Being able to live an independent life pretty much as soon as I turned 19 was really freeing and I think doing the course has really helped me mature as a person. Placements were fantastic and getting to speak at the Big Bang Science Fair in the NEC in Birmingham was a fantastic opportunity for me to get stuck in with more of the general public and allowed me to talk to younger people, particularly girls, and attempt to get them interested in STEM subjects.

Any low points?

Some of the university work was gruelling and took me longer than I’d like to admit. Although you might not think it, purely eating restaurant food for almost a year and a half is tougher than you’d think! I often spent nights at hotels longing for the comfort of my own bed and a good, home-cooked meal. Other than that, being away from my fiancée for weeks on end was probably the worst bit for me.

What’s next for you?

I have already started a permanent position as a fully-fledged Broadcast Engineer within Engineering Operations, based in New Broadcasting House. It’s a dream come true to work in one of the most iconic buildings in the UK and to really feel like I’m contributing to the team here. The work is fast-paced and interesting, and although it’s a cliché, no two days are ever the same, although there are recurring themes!

Where do you want to be in five years’ time?

Wow, five years is a long way in the future! I’d love to think I could manage my own team, since I’m very much a people person and would enjoy that aspect of management very much. In terms of what field I would like to be in, I’m not sure yet! I love manually fixing things in the workshop and I’m also a huge fan of programming, so I’d love to give those things a go more often too. I’d also love to speak at public events, plus get more involved in 成人论坛 Pride and WiSTEM.