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We want to bring in graduates but having a degree isn't enough.
While I was at university, I did a lot of extra-curricular activities. I basically said "yes" to everything.
One of the things that impressed me at Aston was it opened my eyes.
We're looking for people with what I would call a "practical intelligence".
But can then practically apply the tools and techniques they've learned
in a real industrial-commercial environment.
My ambition on arrival was to be a draftsman on £40 a week. I quickly
realized, when I was at Aston, there was a much broader career
opportunity, provided I studied and did the course appropriately.
You've really got to have a full CV and it doesn't just have to be work,
or anything related to work really, it can be anything. Any experience
that you can get. Sports teams, helping out with the union, helping out at the University
and just throwing yourself into everything that you do. If you've got a full CV, it
shows that you're willing to take things on, you're willing to accept challenges.
So we're looking for people that have done other things,
whether that's in their placement or whether that's in their extracurricular activity
or any work experience that they've got.
It's really important that you see a part-time job at something that you can use to develop yourself and not just
something that you can use to make money.
Because all the skills that you will gain in any workplace
are applicable to any job that you get in the future, and they really
demonstrate that you want to progress and apply yourself to whatever problems
you get faced with.
My observation is what comes out of Aston
is - it has a very broad curriculum in terms of what it teaches,
it's not just engineering. It does other, very important things as well.
But I see the talent of what comes out
and the attitude,and the culture of that talent - very employable.
I think the main thing we're looking for is that they appear to understand
what working in an industrial environment is like
and they have a real desire
to work within that sort of environment, leading people
in a 24/7-type environment.
The time at Aston has allowed me to present myself well. It's developed my presentation skills and
really help me talk to people. And, when it comes down to it - in an interview -
all they want to know
is that as a person, you're approachable, you look like you know what you doing and
you're confident.