Interview with a Postgraduate Student

By Muhammad Shuja

This blog is a transcript of an interview I took with a Postgraduate Engineering student to give you an insight about postgraduate study at Sheffield.

Question: Tell me about yourself.

Answer: My name is Fahad Zulfiqar and I am from Pakistan. Currently I am enrolled in Masters in Advanced Computer Science at University of Sheffield.

Question: What did you study at undergraduate level and where?

Answer: I completed my Bachelors of Engineering Sciences from Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology in Pakistan.

Question: Why did you choose to pursue a postgraduate degree?

Answer: I was greatly intrigued by the Engineering Sciences stream and felt a need for Master’s Degree to further hone my skills. With computer science stream on the boom and the paucity of computer scientists, I strongly felt a need to differentiate myself from the masses with a postgraduate degree from the reputed institute.

Question: What were you reasons of choosing Sheffield to do your postgraduate course?

Answer: With a top-notch faculty and state-of-the-art labs, University of Sheffield is a Premium institute with a top rank in Computer Sciences stream. The breadth and depth on Computer Science curriculum further helped me in my decision. Moreover, an eclectic mix of people would enable me to improve my communication skills and groom myself.

Question: How has your time in Sheffield been so far?

Answer: Considering both academics and extracurricular activities, my time in Sheffield University has been great so far. I got a chance to groom myself together with mastering the concepts in the field I absolutely love.

Question: How would you compare your current course to your undergraduate degree?

Answer: The difficulty level of Masters in Computer Science is immense as compared to my Bachelor’s degree. This was partly due to the fact that the Computer Science program at Sheffield is directed toward the market trends and requirements. Facilities such as 24/7 library access and a serene environment made it possible for me to achieve my goals. Support from my faculty and friends is always available, making it a fun learning experience.

Question: What do you plan on doing upon completion of your course?

Answer: My goal is to work in a reputed software corporate and further hone my skills as a software developer.

Question: What advice would you give to prospective students or perhaps students thinking about going into postgraduate study?

Answer: The most important thing in life is to proceed in a field for which you develop a strong aptitude. With competitive job market and more computer scientists pouring out, postgraduate study is definitely a safe bet at the least. Postgraduate qualification from a Russell Group institute will definitely improve one’s chance of landing in a well reputed corporate.

Question: Do I have your consent of posting a transcript of this conversation online?

Answer: Yes

Thanks a lot for your time.

Employer Fest: Engineering

By Muhammad Shuja

This blog is to let you know about Employer Fest, one of the many career-based events the University hosts every year for its students.

Struggling to find placements or have too many options to decide a graduate career? The answer to every question you might have regarding careers, Employer Fest – your chance to get hands on information about placements or graduate roles through a series of events from February till March. Though the University hosts an Employer Fest for each Faculty, I’ll be talking specifically about Engineering.

Regardless of whether you’ve secured a placement or have no idea what the word means (I’m pretty sure it’s something you take when you’ve got the flu), Employer Fest will help you through each stage of the process. There’s loads of workshops from the Careers Service, regarding all the options you can consider, a year-long placement if you want to get hands-on experience of the industry, a summer-placement if you don’t want a gap from studies, or perhaps a placement in a country abroad which is quite an experience in itself. Furthermore, there’s lecturers from staff working at various firms who give you an idea about the application process, to give you extremely vivid information narrowed down to specific firms. The firms are multinational firms who are leaders of their specific fields. I’m talking about Google, Apple, Accenture, PWC etc. You can have the event tailored to your requirements. For instance, international students might want to know more about immigration policies before they get searching for placements. The JobShop runs regular workshops for exactly that. For finalists, you might be more interested in graduate positions than placements. For postgraduate students, you might want to look for postgraduate placements and you can find specific event to suit your needs. For those of you who are nervous of performance issues during interviews and assessments, there’s a great load of events from both employers and from the Careers Service who will be more than happy to give you one on one advice about interviews, assessments, CVs and absolutely any worries you might have. Last but not the least, the main highlight of Employer Fest: Engineering is the Engineering Placements Networking Event. Employers from world-class firms all gathered around to ask any questions you might have – applications, interviews, the work environment, further opportunities or even how much you can earn (*ahm ahm* I sense a twinkling of the eye)! To conclude, with a whole month jam-packed with career-based events, you’ll definitely maximize your chances to get an awesome placement to earn some dolla while you do what you love!