In their final year, our students can take a module working in a company. Katie Hardman took advantage of this to work in FTSE-100 company, Babcock International, who have now offered her a graduate role.
“Studying Maths at Ƶ has helped me to develop skills in many different areas, the most important of which being greater confidence in my abilities," said Katie. "The support from lecturers and the skills I learned in classes increased my self-confidence to such a point that I completed an industrial placement, something that I hadn’t previously considered. The placement was at a well-known and respected company, Babcock International, working on their Data Modelling team. Although this wasn’t something that I had considered as a career choice, I really enjoyed my time there and have since decided that it is perfect for me.
"Whilst there I was shown what the team do, and learnt a lot about data modelling in general. I also worked on a project to increase the efficiency of machine-operated production. In doing this I’ve learnt a lot about real-life problems and how to solve them, gaining invaluable transferable skills. The placement was interesting, educational and I gained great contacts within the company.
"Following this experience, I have been lucky enough to be offered a graduate role on the team that I worked with. This takes a lot of pressure off me during my third year, and also makes me confident that I will enjoy my future job. I found that the skills I had already gained at the University prepared me well for the experience and also for future jobs. The great thing about studying at the Ƶ is that the lecturers are very supportive and are genuinely invested in seeing students do well. As such, I would recommend the Ƶ to any prospective students.”