从学生到新萄新京十大正规网站创新者
Combining creative thinking and technical problem-solving
“I did a BEng in Mechanical Design Engineering at the University of Glasgow and an MPhil in Industrial Systems, 剑桥大学制造与管理新萄新京十大正规网站,”她说。.
“For my undergraduate final year project, I got to design and build an ultrasonic drill for space. The entire process involved lots of problem-solving, data-gathering and analysis. It was very satisfying and rewarding when I completed the project and co-authored a conference paper on the topic. 我认为这就是工程之美, 工程师们不断地向未知的领域推进, developing new technologies and gaining new insights along the way.
“The reason I chose my course was because I wanted to study something that combines creative thinking and technical problem-solving - engineering turns out to be the perfect fit!”
大学的挑战
“作为一名国际学生, I arrived in Scotland for the first time in my life with a suitcase and a backpack to start my first year in university,”她说。.
“I didn’t know anyone and had to overcome the language barrier. I did that by pushing myself out of my comfort zone and being proactive; for example, I stayed back after lectures to ask questions and reached out to strangers to start a conversation.
19岁的时候, 这些简单的事情似乎让人望而生畏, but I’m glad I did it because it made me a much more resilient person and taught me so much about making connections and building rapport with people.
致今天的学生们, I hope my experience can help those who might feel isolated in the current circumstances. Don’t be afraid to make the first move to connect with someone, it may seem scary during the moment but always trivial looking back in hindsight.”
从学生到工作人员的转变
Right after university, Ying joined Rolls-Royce’s manufacturing engineering graduate scheme.
“在毕业生计划期间, I rotated around different parts of the business every four months and worked on different projects, such as assembly tooling and hybrid electric aircraft propulsion.
“What I enjoyed most as a graduate is the opportunity to develop professionally and learn while contributing to the project. I attended training and got to apply the skills in the workplace. It was also great to do that as a cohort of graduates, and I’ve made life-long friends.
“After the graduate scheme, I took on an improvement lead and a team lead role. As an improvement lead, I used lean six sigma tools to improve production processes. Then later as a team lead, I led a team to manage the non-conformance processes in a plant.
“During this time, I made sure to continue developing professionally and personally. I worked with my professional mentor on my engineering chartership that helped me identify development opportunities.
“I gained my chartership and became a Chartered Engineer in 2019.”
Advice for her student-self – and all our Student members
像大多数学生一样, I struggled with job applications - my first job offer did not come easily,”她说。. “I submitted more than a hundred applications per year to apply for internships and graduate roles.
“收到拒绝信令人沮丧, so it’s even more important to maintain a perspective and be patient. 很有可能，每个人都在经历同样的情况.
“如果我能回到过去, I’d tell myself to continuously iterate on the job applications, improve my CV and cover letters with the feedback I received, and make sure my volunteering and extracurricular activities were reflected in the job applications.
“那时候我在业内没有多少人脉, but I wished I had reached out to more people in the companies I applied for to get advice, 即使是在领英上交换几条信息.
“终于, 致全体学生, I’d say prepare for the professional world by reading industry magazines, 就像 E+T，并学会驾驭职场. The transition from being a student to a professional is a big step-change and learning how to communicate and present myself professionally is one of the most important aspects I wished I knew.”
不仅仅是一个成员
“As an 新萄新京十大正规网站 member, you’re part of a forward-looking community. Not only does the 新萄新京十大正规网站 set the standards for professional engineers, 通过指导提供职业支持, 奖学金和奖项, it’s beneficial to be part of the 新萄新京十大正规网站 from a Professional Development perspective,”她说。.
“Being an active part of a professional engineering institution demonstrates that I own my professional development and continue to learn outside work. This no doubt adds credibility to my CV, and I highly recommend students to consider doing so too!
“Being a member allows me to learn so much more about the profession outside my company. It provides breadth to my industry and expand my network beyond my colleagues.
“I’ve gained so much more insight and understanding of engineering as a member; I’m fortunate to be able to accelerate and advance my career as a result of this.”