Case studies : Project engineer: Peter White

Peter is a project engineer at Atkins, which is the largest engineering firm in the UK and the 11th largest design consultancy in the world. He secured this role, while completing his Masters in Electronic Engineering with Management at The University of Sheffield, after proactively applying for several roles at a variety of engineering firms.

My degree was very relevant in securing my job, and at the interview the management material I had studied was perhaps the most useful in demonstrating commercial awareness to my potential line manager. I also had to answer a technical paper on communication systems, which I had covered in several degree modules.

I am currently working on a large new build nuclear project as a C&I (control and instrumentation) engineer. This is effectively a secondment from my business unit where, depending on what role I am undertaking, I am usually considered to be a communications engineer.

My daily duties include updating various technical documents and researching products. To a lesser extent in my current role I attend meetings with clients, colleagues and suppliers.

I am working on an increasing number of systems as my role in the current project progresses, and this will help me to achieve my goal of gaining chartered engineer status (CEng). The CEng is a nationally and globally recognised benchmark and carries considerable prestige which is important for future career development. Attaining this involves reaching a certain level of experience and evidencing certain competences through interview assessment.

I particularly enjoy interacting with colleagues from other disciplines to solve complex problems. On a wider scale, working for a project-based consultancy is interesting as there is always the opportunity to work on a varied range of projects.

Sometimes, as is the case on my current project, the size and complexity of the project can make the interdisciplinary work difficult.

Working in the telecommunications sector appealed to me due to the rapid nature of change and the relevance of technology to modern life. The current project falls within the nuclear sector, which will provide me with vital experience in this growing industry.

Gaining work experience during the university summer holidays is very useful in terms of securing a job later. It will show commitment and provide you with solid examples to give in an interview.

Studying a broad degree course such as electronic engineering as opposed to something more specific such as communications engineering or computer engineering, will help keep your options open.