Chay King Liang Mechanical Facilities Engineer, Texas Instruments Inc., 2019
M.Eng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, Second Upper.
The unique 2+2 programme provided me with sound engineering fundamentals which were taught by a small and dedicated team of lecturers at the university’s campus in Educity, Malaysia. This was followed by a great exposure of studying and working on my projects at the Highfield campus, UK which were equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
How did you obtain your current job?
I obtained my current job upon completion of an internship with Texas Instruments. Texas Instruments regularly publish job openings on their website or careers websites and also attend various careers fairs in Malaysia. In my case, I applied directly to Texas instruments for my internship, which resulted in a permanent job upon graduation.
What are your major responsibilities/duties in your current role?
To work with a team of engineers and technicians from various specialisations to build, monitor and maintain the production’s facilities.
What is the best part of your job?
The projects are challenging and require me to integrate skills from cross disciplinary areas.
Why did you choose the University of Southampton Malaysia?
The unique 2+2 programme provided me with sound engineering fundamentals which were taught by a small and dedicated team of lecturers at the university’s campus in Educity, Malaysia. This was followed by a great exposure of studying and working on my projects at the Highfield campus, UK which were equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
What were the best things about studying at the University of Southampton Malaysia Campus and UK Campus?
Whilst studying in Malaysia, I formed close bonds with my course mates.
In the UK, I was given the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, beyond my studies.
What did you most enjoy about your degree programme?
Summer breaks. I had a wonderful time relaxing at the end of the academic term, plus undergoing two internships from which I gained valuable experiences.
For my other internship, I worked for Poldarone Solutions. Poladrone is a drone start-up based in Malaysia, providing various drone application services to the agriculture, surveillance and construction sectors. I was fortunate to complete a drone mapping project for a palm oil plantation, monitoring their land use, crop count and crop health via image processing techniques.
How did the University help prepare you for employment?
The sound engineering fundamentals prepared me well to endeavour in various career fields. This was coupled with participating in interesting clubs and societies which helped improve my management and soft skills.
What advice would you give to current students to help them secure their first job?
I would advise students who wish to apply for internships, to put a little more effort into your cover letter and discuss with your tutors to help produce a solid reference letter, backing your interest and engineering knowledge, tailored for the role.
I would also encourage current students to break the silos and mingle around even with people of other courses to widen your perspective.