Case studies: Sandwich placement, Sperry: Will Avison

Will Avison studied an MEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Portsmouth. He went on a placement with a company that produces unique services for international railway organisations

My placement was with Sperry, a company that provides a monitoring service to detect flaws in railway tracks using proprietary ultrasonic detectors. During my placement the opportunities available to me included: designing test equipment; assisting in the prototyping of new systems; working with operations; and researching possible new technologies.

This placement exposed the fact that the real world is very different to university life. While I used the majority of my skill base and knowledge from university, there is a wealth of expertise that can only be learned by working in industry.

A placement year is the ideal opportunity to get your foot in the door of your desired industry. In addition, the task of choosing candidates for the interview process is not an easy one for employers, but having a year in industry without a doubt ensures you will stand out from the average graduate.

Crucially, the placement allowed me to develop my confidence in the workplace and during the interview process. It not only got me into the interview room, but provided me the material with which to answer questions in future interviews.

I now work as an electronic engineer in the optical payload division of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), part of Astrium, the space arm of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS).