From the classroom to the racetrack, where are they now?

As we head toward this year’s competition in July, we caught up with former competitors to hear about their first engineering placements after graduating and how their experiences at Formula Student helped secure their roles.

Each year, thousands of students participate in the Formula Student competition, an event regularly attended by representatives of leading engineering companies, automotive manufacturers and even Formula One^TM teams.

After completing his course at the University of Sussex in 2014, Sam Jewiss landed a role at Leonardo Airbourne and Space Systems, as a Graduate Mechanical Engineer; he described his experience of the competition as invaluable.

“Regardless of what industry you work in or in which discipline you specialise, the life cycle of creating a product remains the same. Formula Student gave me a good understanding of the design process and how this feeds into the project life cycle.”

2017 graduate Laura Wooton secured an engineering role at LEONI Wiring Systems after her involvement in the competition, one that directly related to her work on the Formula Student project.

“I was part of the costing team during my time on Formula Student; I enjoyed working with a lot of numerical data and cost analysis. Upon graduation, I started a job in the TVM department of my company, which largely focuses on cost analysis and I really enjoy it.”

For Laura, who works as a Graduate EDS Engineer, Formula Student shed some light on alternative opportunities she would have missed.

“I wouldn’t have thought of going into such a department if I hadn’t done Formula Student and been involved with the costing.”

It’s not just the technical knowledge that prepares competitors for the working world. For Brian O’Flanagan, who studied at the Dublin Institute of Technology, the competition gave him an edge during his interview:

“I was asked about the competition in my interview and they were impressed with the scope of Formula Student.”

His experience impressed ESB International enough to offer him a Graduate Mechanical Engineer position.

“The team aspect of Formula Student is hugely beneficial in almost every role.”

Rhian Griffith, a 2017 Liverpool John Moores University graduate, shared a similar story:

“All of my interviews become a chat about my time at Formula Student,”said Rhian, who lined up a post-graduate placement at Atkins ADST before graduation. “I like to think that it is a huge reason why I have been successful in my job applications.”

This wider interest and Formula Student experience is something it’s important to consider.

Head Design Judge and Technical Advisor at National Transport Authority, Ireland, Neill Anderson is keen to encourage students to get involved with initiatives like Formula Student alongside their university course.

“The reality of some engineering courses is that students don’t get a chance for practical work experience, so any opportunity to actually make something is very important for their development as engineers.”

Head Cost Judge John Dangerfield agrees that this is an important step for students to overcome. A past competitor and Contract Manager at Babcock International Group, John believes that teams learn essential lessons that mirror real world situations.

“The teams that impress are the ones who are very subtle about their approach. You don’t need to be all singing and all dancing, just show how you have used that £5,000 budget and made it stretch. Formula Student is a great opportunity to show how smart you are with the money you have.”

This year sees the competition reach its 20^th anniversary. For more information on the competition and how students from around the world are benefiting from taking part visit www.imeche.org/formulastudent.