What does your role involve?

There are certain things I'm not allowed to know about the work I'm doing, but I think I'm being trained towards a System Architect role. It's a position that usually takes quite a lot of experience so it's a huge, fantastic opportunity, with salary benefits later on. A lot of the work is classified so I can't mention specific projects, as I'd need security clearance for that! They were very strict with what I could say for this interview, but I can say they have multi-sector graduate schemes with industrial placements which are both technical and business-led. A lot of them are also in the space, defence and intelligence business unit.

The early careers programme is designed to enhance the start of your career with additional benefits. I'm not sure what all the acronyms are, but there are a lot of things listed there! CGI have different business units and require a diverse range of people to work with them to meet client needs, so it's a great place to be.

Did you have an idea of what you wanted to do when you chose your course?

Aside from possibly wanting to be a Software Developer because I’d been quite good with computers since a very young age, I started out on the gaming side, making small modifications to them early on. This included games that had an element of building in them, industrial simulations, building cities, even games like Minecraft. Really just games that could be creative.

I had an offer from a few different universities, but I already knew a few people in Leeds. My friend was going to Leeds which helped to know what to expect. I think the city itself played a big role in why I picked Leeds Beckett too.

What experience did you receive from your course that helped you become employed?

I didn't particularly enjoy my course for the first couple of years. It was in third year I had the freedom to make what I wanted within set parameters. I could make any applications or devices I wanted and that's when I started to really excel.

I came up with this ridiculous idea for an aeroplane, which is a huge project. The idea was to use a miniature computer called the Raspberry Pi. It's used for a huge amount of things and basically the size of a credit card. It's got little connectors so you can do electronics with it too. I wanted to see how far I could push it to do big things. The project made me fall in love with the subject.

I thought it might be stupid, but maybe I could build an aeroplane! I've always been interested in aeroplanes. I chose this because I wanted to build something big that would keep me hooked. I had to build a 3D printer, then a laser engraver, and then a fully printed aeroplane. It opened the door to learning electronics as part of the project which was facilitated by meeting lots of knowledgeable staff on my university placement.

I think a big factor of getting this job was demonstrating the five foot aeroplane which I built, and what it could do. I felt like it made me more memorable after the interview - they didn't forget the silly guy who tried to build an aeroplane using a Raspberry Pi!

Were the interview panel impressed?

Yeah. It made a lot of noise but hard to forget. It's sort of become a life's work! As part of my job, I'm involved in STEM events where you can collaborate on projects that can put you in contact with local businesses and charitable organisations who can also contribute, and I might be able to test the aeroplane for real world uses one day.

So how did you become involved with Beckett Careers?

I think it was a follow up email when I graduated that mentioned about the support Beckett Careers offered in finding a job after university. I was caring for a family member straight after graduating so I didn't need to look for a job immediately. When I was in a position to need a job, I got in touch with the team. I also had a job throughout university so I didn't need to know about Beckett Careers before then.

They set me up with some very useful links and suggested applying for funds to further develop my aeroplane project and possibly launch my own business with them. I had already received an offer from a company who wanted to buy them so it could have made sense to get a grant from the government to launch it on a larger scale. They also set me up with some free career coaching which I ended up never needing because I got a job immediately after. I think I also wanted to hold onto the aeroplane because it's something I'd spent months working on and developing, and wanted it to remain with me. I continue to have full control of it.

One day, I could use it for charitable reasons rather than selling it to companies. I'm from the Lake District and mountain rescue is what inspired me to begin with. I designed it towards something that could be useful for search and rescue, because of its autonomy with a thermal camera and could help find people a lot more cost effectively. Instead of launching a £40 million helicopter, you could launch a few of my aeroplanes. They're far more energy efficient and don't need recharging as much as a drone too.

I think that's what made the project enjoyable and motivated me to a degree. It's not a project for the sake of one, but it has a real-world use in the future. It's consumed my life but improved it in so many ways too.

What does the future look like for you now?

CGI have lots of roles for progression, everything related to IT for Dev OPS, Software Development, and general IT networking. The role I think I'm being trained towards is a System Architect which is quite a high-end role. I've no idea how I'm going to do it. I think that's the same with work ethic though. I have the faith to believe if I put the hours in, and then the fruit will be good at the end.

There are also extensive training programmes that fund a lot of things for personal development, and I've got enormous opportunities if I’m willing to work for it. I think they're the fifth largest IT company in the world and I had never heard of them until I found the job!

What would your top tips be now for someone who wanted to improve their employability for the future?

I would say instead of doing what you think you need to pass your course, do something that inspires you and that you can fall in love with. Computers are in absolutely everything these days, so it doesn't matter what you make, whether it's an aeroplane or a video game or website, just do something you love and stick with it.

I always wanted to learn electronics, which wasn't something I really knew where to start with or how to go about it, but I spoke to some of the other lecturers outside of the courses and most of them were happy to help. I think most staff love what they do, so when there's a passionate student who wants to learn, they're more than happy to lend a hand. I didn't really need to stick to one course and even though I didn't have the accreditation on paper, it was more about what I took away from the experience at the end.

It was a risk to do my third-year project, but I knew I wanted to do it. I thought I've got to make it happen because I hate the degree. By the time I came to graduate, I absolutely loved it!