Interview Questions for “Everything Aerospace”– University of Salford

What first interested you in a career in engineering?

I first began looking at engineering as a career in years 9 & 10 at secondary school. The technology department at Altrincham Grammar were always very keen on developing practical experience and were kind enough to take a few students to Liverpool University for a 3 day young engineer’s course.

We worked together with various companies to try and tackle their engineering difficulties. I found this programme challenging, and extremely enjoyable, a major influence in my choice of career path.

As far as specialising in Aeronautics is concerned, this decision was based on my interest in aircraft. With my father a pilot, as well as a lot of family friends being aeronautical engineers, most dinner conversations were with regard to aviation, so quite easy to see how my choice of Aeronautical Engineering was inspired. 

How important is Aerospace Engineering to today's society?

Aeronautical Engineering is a very diverse subject that furthers a large variety of skills, predominantly mathematic and physics based. An Aeronautical Engineer applies the theoretical and practical skills obtained from a university course such as the one at Salford and applies them to research, design and manufacturing of current aeronautical programs from modern aircraft to satellites.

Without Aeronautical Engineers the aircraft people use for business and holidaying would not be in the sky, it cannot be contested that society depends heavily on travel via aircraft.

In the current climate of concern over environmental issues, society also expects the aviation industry to play its part in helping to decrease the level of CO2 emissions. Again it is the Aeronautical Engineer that will provide the solution to increase overall aircraft efficiency, thereby helping to drive down the levels of emissions current aircraft produce. 

Aeronautical Engineers also help put the satellites in to space, the satellites we rely on for weather information, geospatial mapping data, environmental monitoring, telecommunications and research. So in answer to the question I feel aerospace engineering plays a major role in society, producing and developing a lot of the technology we rely on heavily.

What did you study at school?

I focused on science based options, so Maths (A-level), Physics (A-level), Design Technology (A-level) at A-level were crucial to my current studies and Geography provided me with the human and environmental background to place my engineering in its social context.

Geography (AS-level)

What course are you doing?

BEng (Hons) Aeronautical Engineering at Salford University

How did you find your course? What did it involve?

The course is highly demanding, with a large amount of material covered in a short space of time. The University of Salford has proven to be a good choice for studying aeronautical engineering at degree level, as the course provides students with a solid background from which they can go on to perform well in the aerospace industry.

The degree involves a lot of time and dedication, as well as an ability to understand mathematical and physics based material. A lot of time is spent in laboratories putting theoretical methods in to practice and learning how to generate professional engineering reports. But I would say the most important thing needed, in order to get the most out of this degree, is being truly interest in the subject and having a real passion to learn.

What did your industrial placement involve? How long does it last?

My industrial placement was a year long and based at Smiths Aerospace, the world leader’s in flight control actuation systems, based in Wolverhampton. I was given the opportunity to work in many different departments including, Research and Development, Joint Strike Fighter, Quality, Boeing 787 Team and Airbus A380 Team. Each of these departments helped me understand and develop various skills, from Computer Aided Design, to developing and conducting test procedures.

Working on development rigs and carrying out experiments helps to improve your analytical thinking, but it isn’t just experimental skills that are developed. Working in a professional environment builds interpersonal skills and general confidence through working in large teams of people and giving presentations to supervisors and managers.

Did you enjoy the Industrial Placement? Are there parts of it that are particularly challenging?

There were parts of the placement that were challenging, but that’s half the fun. I really enjoyed the experience, I met a lot of very kind and helpful people to whom I am very grateful for teaching me so much.

I feel the industrial placement year helped me develop a lot of confidence and has given me a huge advantage over the large number of students graduating with similar or equal academic merit, thereby increasing my chances of employment in the future.

It was important to remember that the industrial placement was effectively a year-long interview and maintaining a high performance was crucial to making a good impression on a wealth of prospective employers. 

How do you envisage your career progressing?

I was lucky enough to be invited back to work for Smiths following my graduation. So hopefully if I do as well as expected at university, my future career, at least initially will be working for them.

Science / Engineering courses / colleges