What other activities did you take advantage of while at university?
Outside of my academic studies I got involved in many societies, for example Salsa Soc as President, windsurfing as Social Secretary, SURNU as Senior Midshipman, University Strictly Come Dancing, Polo, Lindi-hop and ski/snowboarding. As part of my course, I was the course representative in the first year and then a mentor in my final year. And I also managed to get a summer placement at RogersEV, an aviation and aerospace component manufacturer, though the university which really helped put my studies and education to the test.
What did you enjoy most about your course?
The best bit about studying my course were the people, all the staff and students I worked with over my 4 years were so friendly and helpful. Because there were so few of us (around 30 per year) there is a real community, with everyone knowing each other and being able to get on well as both the entire year group and students from the other years.
I really enjoyed the design aspects of the course with the 2nd year Ship Design and Economics and the 3rd year Marine Craft Concept Design being the highlights and the General Arrangements (ship design drawings) still hung up proudly on my bedroom wall!
What have been the highlights of your career to date?
I am still only early on in my professional career at DSTL however I have already briefed a senior scientific advisor within NCHQ and have helped deliver on genuinely impactful work.
How did your time at Southampton help you to grow as a person and help you get to where you are now?
My studies have equipped me for working, and specifically at DSTL, and I still rely on my university notes to help me day-to-day. This surprised me more than it should have. I also think being part of all my societies and my roles within them has helped me learn how to lead and organise effectively. I learned that the more effort you put into something, the more value and enjoyment you will get out of it.
What advice would you give to students starting an MSc?
My one key bit of advice is to go to every lecture, even if you are half asleep you will learn something and later in the year you will thank yourself for it. Non-academically I would say try everything you want to, every sport society or club is full of friendly people, and you will be able to find a crowd of people you like, doing something you love, and you will have a great time. And to tie these points together I would say try to be able to rely on your friends for support and build a support network for yourself, times can get tough and your friends, course mates or otherwise, are the best people to understand and help you through.
What tips would you give to current students looking to start a career in your sector?
In the commercial and military maritime sector new challenges are appearing and requirements changing from economic, environmental, and legislative factors. And so, for getting into the maritime or defence sector you need to be open to ideas and new concepts and do follow up and investigate them. More simply meaning try to do a lot of background reading on the wider sector and investigate the future thinking.
I believe you need a good balance of broad knowledge and specialism, university will give you your specialism, and so you should work on widening your knowledge and keeping up to date with what is out there and what challenges there are to face.
