Matthew Johnson MEng Aeronautics and Astronautics

UK Cloud Leadership Support at IBM

Between my second and third years of study, I was offered the opportunity the work for the summer with Huawei on a scheme run in partnership with the university. This was the highlight of my last 3 years, as I got to work and travel in China. This opportunity was only possible through studying a STEM course at Southampton.

Why did you choose to study this course?

I achieved good results in Maths and Physics A Levels and so engineering appealed as a course to apply and develop my strongest skills whilst also offering exciting career prospects. I knew the mathematical and technical skills would be highly transferable, as evidenced by graduates working in various industries after completion of the course.

Why did you choose to come to the University of Southampton?

The university is very highly ranked for my course on the league tables and I had a really good experience when visiting the university on one of the Open Days.

What has been the highlight of your course so far?

Between my second and third years of study, I was offered the opportunity to work for the summer with Huawei on a scheme run in partnership with the university. This was the highlight of my last 3 years, as I got to work and travel in China. This opportunity was only possible through studying on a STEM course at Southampton.

How did the University help you to secure your placement, or help to prepare you for your placement?

I visited the Careers Service multiple times to have my application and CV read through by an expert. This was extremely useful as the staff were very helpful, providing suggestions on how to improve my written application.

In addition, the career fairs on campus were a great opportunity to learn about internships or placements on offer to students.

What have you enjoyed most so far about your placement?

IBM run or attend a huge number of events, staff actively encourage attendance and expenses are reimbursed. These are great opportunities to see new technologies coming to market and to learn more about the company’s products and services. I recently attended the “IP Expo Europe 2016” at the ExCel conference centre in London on behalf of IBM – my most enjoyable experience so far.

What are your career plans after you’ve completed your course?

I currently envisage working in financial services, I recently enjoyed working for J.P. Morgan on a summer internship and financial risk analysis is an area of work I may pursue. However, I am enjoying working at IBM (a large technology firm) and I will certainly consider applying to one of their graduate programmes towards the end of my placement, when I have had a chance to learn more about the area of the business that I’m most suited to.

How do you think your placement will help you in your career?

It’s a very good opportunity to apply and continue to develop skills within industry. I have already learned a great deal throughout my placement that will be very useful in my career. In addition, having placement experience at a company such as IBM will encourage employers to consider progressing my application in any future job role or graduate scheme that I apply to after university.

What advice would you offer to students who are considering a placement?

I would strongly encourage any students considering a placement to apply – it’s an excellent opportunity to try working for a specific company or industry. It develops skills and experience, and the additional work experience to add to the CV will improve employability.