Prospects Postgrad 1

ADVICE AND GUIDANCE Postgrad 11 POLL POSITION I have been an avid fan of Formula 1 for many years and have always been fascinated with the technology and mentality of the sport and of the motorsport industry in general. Upon discovering the Cranfield University Motorsport Engineering Masters course and then undertaking practical work experience with Legends Racing during summer 2006, I realised that motorsport was the way in which I wanted to apply my engineering knowledge and skills. Therefore, I chose to undertake the Motorsport MSc straight after my first degree as a stepping stone to helping me achieve a much sought-after career in motorsport. ON THE COURSE The course KIRSTY ALLAN studied a Masters degree in Mechanical Design Engineering at the University of Glasgow before embarking on a second Masters in Motorsport Engineering at Cranfield University. Now employed in her dream job as Composites R&D Project Engineer at Williams F1, she says her postgraduate study provided her with the winning formula. The group project and the individual thesis project were also enjoyable if a tad challenging! In the group project, time management and team working were key. The different personalities made working together as a group quite difficult but it was important that we learned to trust each other and build good working relationships. This gave me a taste of how it would be in the industry and prepared me for intense team working situations. I learned a lot of transferable skills on my Motorsport Masters course. Throughout the numerous group projects, I IN THE DRIVING SEAT I was awarded comprises eight one-week assessed modules, a group project and an individual project. The modules include lectures and tutorials, and are assessed through written examinations and assignments. I personally enjoyed the Composite Structures for Motorsport module the most. I have always been passionate about composite materials and actually did my undergraduate thesis on composite manufacturing techniques. This module incorporated a large amount of practical work in the making of a generic sports car wing. This was lots of fun as well as being very informative developed very good time and resource management skills. The course also gave me knowledge of different aspects of motorsport engineering and this helped me understand the many different parts of an F1 racing car. This deep appreciation of the complexity of such a vehicle stood me in good stead when joining Williams F1 later that year. a bursary from Williams F1 and so carried out my thesis project with them. I really enjoyed my thesis project as it was involved with composite materials and incorporated many different aspects of engineering including design, manufacture and testing. I was fortunate enough to be based in the Williams F1 and a good way of learning more improved my team working and communication skills. I had to about the material in terms of its advantages and limitations during laminating. work calmly and efficiently under pressure and therefore headquarters in Grove throughout the entire duration of my project and I feel this was very beneficial in helping me gain eventual full-time employment. Carrying out an industrial thesis project was a fantastic opportunity for me to produce a worthwhile and indepth piece of work that would benefit Williams and their race car and also to prove myself as a capable and hard-working engineer. My job title at Williams is Composites R&D Project Engineer. I am basically a link between the Design Office and the Composites R&D department. I manage R&D projects, often from beginning to end, and am involved in all aspects of the work from the manufacture of specimens and the design of the testing equipment to the actual tests themselves. The best part of my job is that I get to be involved in both the R&D and the design side of engineering. One of the most exciting parts of my job is when I make an R&D breakthrough and can come to a definite conclusion about a project. Knowing that I have made a worthwhile contribution to the company and the development of our F1 car is the best feeling I could ask for in my job. I truly believe that my Masters course helped me gain my employment with Williams F1. I don’t think that I would have been able to step into such an ideal first F1 job without completing the course.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Prospects Postgrad 1

Prospects Postgrad Autumn 2008 Contents: What’s Inside For Love and Money Cash for Qualifications A Tale of Two Students Meet the Postgrad People All Aboard The Postgraduate Environment Maths Market The Postgrad Programme Teacher Training Arts and Humanities Science and Engineering Business and Management Social Sciences

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