Steffan L.
About me
| Steffan L. | |
| Physics | |
| Physics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| 2011 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Technology Specialist - Novel Composite Materials | |
| The University of Sheffield, Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Science and research | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2011 | |
| £26000 | |
| £33000 |
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a Technology Specialist - Novel Composite Materials in the United Kingdom
I take control of a project from start to finish
Where I hope to be in 5 years
I have never had much of a career plan, I have tended to do what I enjoy and have been lucky enough to find someone who is willing to pay me for doing it. I have a rough idea of what I would like to achieve, but I always try to be flexible - you never know what is going to come up! (Currently there is talk of establishing a hub for novel materials in the near future. Involvement in such an enterprise could be very interesting and potentially lead to a diverse range of future opportunities.)
My advice to students considering work
Make contacts! You are more likely to make an impression on someone you meet. Conveying your enthusiasm and technical ability is much easier in person rather than on a paper CV. Once you have gained the interest of a potential employer they will be more likely to take an interest in your CV. Summer placements are a great way to do this.
Look beyond studying for your degree, use your time at university to pursue a wide variety of hobbies and interests. Employers are looking for individuals who are well rounded, being a member of a society, club or sports team can be used to demonstrate a wide variety of real world transferable skills such as working in a group and taking responsibility for organising events.
The best piece of advice I was ever given is to do what you enjoy.
Composite materials is a very interdisciplinary area and involves aspects of physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering. Most of the people I work with have a degree in aerospace engineering. As a physicist I am able to introduce a different perspective to a problem and use my specialist knowledge to suggest a solution that others might not have considered.
Composite materials is a relatively new area with a great number of opportunities, the future will likely concentrate around today's emerging technologies such as microwave curing, additive manufacture of composites (3D printing), process automation (using robots to increase accuracy and repeatability), net shape production of composite components and Bio-Composites (use of fibres such as bamboo and flax as well as resins produced from such things as cashew nuts).
Most of all enjoy your time at university and do the things that you want to do. You will gain confidence, experience and friends that you will remain with you for life.
My advice about working in my industry
The best piece of advice I was ever given is to do what you enjoy.
Composite materials is a very interdisciplinary area and involves aspects of physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering. Most of the people I work with have a degree in aerospace engineering. As a physicist I am able to introduce a different perspective to a problem and use my specialist knowledge to suggest a solution that others might not have considered.
Composite materials is a relatively new area with a great number of opportunities, the future will likely concentrate around today's emerging technologies such as microwave curing, additive manufacture of composites (3D printing), process automation (using robots to increase accuracy and repeatability), net shape production of composite components and Bio-Composites (use of fibres such as bamboo and flax as well as resins produced from such things as cashew nuts).
What I do
I project manage and conduct research in a group developing novel materials for demanding applications in high technology sectors such as aerospace and automotive.
This means that I take control of a project from start to finish. The process will usually start by working with an industrial partner to identify research opportunities, plan a program of research and draw up a contract. Once a contract is agreed I am able to assemble a project team of relevant personnel and organise subcontractors to undertake tasks such as design, component fabrication and machine building. I have responsibility for procurement and project finances. Once experiments begin I am involved in data gathering, analysing and summarising the results in reports. Periodically I am required to attend meetings to update the customers on progress and present findings.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Extracurricular skills:
I use a lot of the skills I gained during my time at university. Report writing, analysis of data and regularly presenting results to peers are probably the skills that I use most regularly.
Like any skill, the key to proficiency is practice. Regularly presenting my work to my supervisor and other students gave me practice in public speaking, also the feedback and comments from these sessions helped with my analysis and interpretation of results. Unsurprisingly, producing a thesis that detailed my research for the scientific community improved my report writing no end.
What I like most
My job puts me in a department that is at the forefront of research. I enjoy the technical nature of the role and the endless opportunities to expand my knowledge. I get to meet and discuss interesting technologies with a wide variety of individuals who are typically quite high up in their companies or organisations. I am encouraged to take responsibility, make decisions and have ownership of my work. Delivering results that bring novel processes and materials significantly closer to production is rewarding.
The work environment is supportive and I get on well with my colleagues, also the working hours are flexible around core hours and I have a very generous holiday allowance.
What I like least
It can be frustrating when you spend weeks trying to fix a simple problem that resists everything you try, however this is the nature of research (if it was easy everyone would be doing it!).
Next steps...
If you like the look of Steffan’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Steffan a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Steffan to be your mentor.