Interview of our alumni currently working for British Steel

by Hemanshi Galaiya

A little bit about myself.

My name is Nishit. I pursued an Meng in Chemical Engineering with energy and graduated in 2016. While at Sheffield, I had several amazing experiences such as a research project. Through this I developed soft skills and academic writing which came in handy not just in my 3^rd year design project but also at work.

  

Where I am now and how I got there.

Currently, I am a graduate engineer at British Steel. It wasn’t an easy journey but this was the 5^th job I applied to. I had to go through a preliminary interview, an assessment centre which included problem solving and a 2^nd interview which required a presentation.

Some advice for students applying to jobs…

My best advice would be what I practiced myself. I prepared for the interviews based on research as well as by going through my CV and seeking help from the Careers Advice centre and lecturers. I would highly recommend joining extra-curricular activities and trying to intern in roles within the industry that you want to join. Volunteering can be useful too.

A typical day in my role.

I am currently part of graduate scheme which allows me to work in four plant areas over 2 years with each placement for 6 months. It's a good way to learn more about the site and the processes whilst finding a career path that is right for you. Currently I am working on preparing reports which consist of Design intent of equipment at the different gas mixing stations we have on site along with the control systems that we already have on them. The gas mixing stations help in distribution of gas produced during coke making and iron making. Thus gas can then be used as an energy source for different plant areas.

Interview with a student currently doing internship at Magnomatics in Sheffield

By: Hemanshi Galaiya

1.Tell me a bit about yourself.

My name is Ioan-Iulian Vizireanu and I am originally from Romania. I am pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a year in industry and currently I am doing my internship in the 3rd year at Magnomatics in Sheffield

2. During the course of your degree did you undertake any other placements in research or industry? If yes, how was the experience?

Since I started my studies at The University of Sheffield, I have been employed by NuScale Power in U.S. There I was assigned to validate the theoretical results obtained by the mechanical team for the heat gain/loss in the cooling pool vessel. I truly enjoyed using ANSYS Fluent and CFX to model and analyse the temperature profile through the reactor. Following the summer internship, I have been employed by Magnomatics to use my skills in SolidWorks, MATLAB and ANSYS Mechanical to simulate deformation and vibrational effects in different structures. As an example, I am currently working on a simulation which measures the total deformation in a wind turbine model.

3. What does your role at Magnomatics entail?

My role is predominantly a starting point for the company’s future projects, therefore, most of my work represents revolves around concepts. I have to start analysing the concepts in order to generate data that will be further processed by the mechanical team.

4. Tell me a bit about the process of acquiring this role? Did you undergo assessment centres? How did you tackle them?

Initially, I heard about Magnomatics at one of the career fairs at The University of Sheffield. I then submitted my CV and underwent a psychometric test. The last part of the process was attending a face-to-face interview with 2 members of the mechanical team. They wanted to know about my interests in the field and what expectations I had from the internship.    

5. What advice would you give to prospective students or students who are currently looking for placements and year in Industry?

The only advice I can offer is to be honest with yourself and your employer. In my opinion, when a company is looking for an intern, they are not looking for a qualified engineer who might have worked in that industry for at least 2 years. Rather, they would like to see a smart student, who is always ready to learn and willing to improve his practical skills. Therefore, if you are interested in their specific industry, you will definitely be able to show it.

6. What is a typical day in your role like? What is the best and worst part about your job?

Usually, my day starts by looking at results gathered from a simulation I run on the previous night. I then analyse the data and compare it with theoretical values. Also, I meet with the other mechanical engineers responsible for that project and we discuss together if the simulation shows a realistic behaviour for our project. If we believe that we need more refinement in some critical points, then I have to re-mesh the model and start another simulation to run over the night.

In my opinion, there are not bad parts in what I am doing. During my interview I was asked what I would like to work on and I was allocated with my choice - ANSYS.

If I would have to choose the best part of my internship, it would be the fact that I am working on projects from different industries, such as: energy, automotive, aerospace; which offered me the chance to develop my theoretical skills in these domains. 

7. What is something exciting that you are currently working on?

Currently I am working with a company which manufactures wind turbine generators. My mission is to model a new concept in SolidWorks which uses our magnetic bearing system instead of the conventional ones. By doing so, the space required by the turbine generator would be massively reduced but at the same time I have to make sure that all the parts fit together in a proper manner. 

Travel Vibes: LONDON

By: Hemanshi Galaiya

London is not just one of the fashion capitals but also one of the most eccentric cities I have ever come across. After a long trying semester I needed some time to unwind relax and get some change from university life. Hence, I logged onto my computer, booked a last minute bus ticket, packed my bags and headed to the bus station early next morning.

I was taken by the city vibes as soon as the bus hit the London borders. The tall buildings, Victorian architecture and bright sunny day added a cherry to my leisure packed long weekend. I hit the streets as soon as I put my bags down. I decided to spend my days meeting up with friends, feasting to my hearts delight and being a mainstream tourist.

We started with the classic spots and while we were at it, why not take some of the most cliché pictures.

From pretending to make a call at the ‘ancient’ telephone booths to posing in front of the London Eye, from the ‘visiting’ the Queen outside the Buckingham Palace to taking pictures of mimes and m&m models; and from experiencing my first tube ride to going to Lego world.

I spent my second day shopping at spots like Oxford Street and Covent Garden; buying souvenirs and eating pizzas, burgers and everything I could possibly get my hands on – now you know the secret of my puffy cheeks :P.

We then headed to Trafalgar Square where I experienced a moving act of solidarity. Several of the traffic lights shone light to support gender equality, homosexuality and child rights.

On my last day in the city, we packed our gear, took our coats and headed out for a day filled with activities. We headed down to the shopping mall where we spent some quality time at the arcade and have an incredibly competitive bowling game and of course the day included trying a variety of cuisines.

With all said and done I headed back to Sheffield and with a relieved heart, relaxed mind and recharged body all prepared to tackle the new semester.

Chemical Engineering V/S Students: the battle continues

By Hemanshi Galaiya
Hello once again,

If you frequent our blog and are a ‘fan’ of Chemical Engineering, you have just landed on the correct page. It’s Easter break and while some are busy celebrating a lot of students are busy stressing about their graduation or anxious about how to be productive this summer. Yet, here I am sitting in front of my computer sipping on some relaxing herbal tea and not biting my nails.

Now, I know you are reaching out to call 911 because you have never seen a meme that would show a non-stressed, non-caffeinated student but don’t worry I am doing just fine!

The holidays are soon coming to an end; which means everyone will be stressing about exams, job and internship applications and trying to get that 100-hours coursework done in a night. Yet, I feel relaxed, relieved and refreshed to tackle all of the above.

Again, I assure you there is no need to ring 911. 

Yes, I know you are skeptical about how ‘fine’ I am but what I am about to tell you might give you the much needed reassurance. My spring semester so far has been full of activities, studying and stressing. However, while I approach the end of this seemingly long time, I am sure that a lot of good has come out of it:

  1. Design Week 2017

If you have ever spoken to an engineering student at UOS they definitely have had to mention the Global Engineering Challenge (GEC) or the Engineering! You’re Hired (EYH); and while both these weeks are really fun and excited Chemical Engineers don’t seem to have enough of them. Hence, our department does its own version of the challenge right before Easter break for both 1^st and 2^nd year students. While GEC and EYH teach you the soft skills of teamwork, research skills and solving real life problems, design week sheds light on the application of core knowledge, analytical and critical thinking and project management.

Throughout design week each team works to solve a very realistic chemical engineering related problem. The teams have to make use of a variety of different modules and concepts already learnt as well as computer software and known literature. This hands down approach helps everyone not only see how classroom knowledge can be applied but is by far one of the best ways of making students revisit a variety of concepts and theories in preparation for exams.

 2. Networking sessions

The Chemical Engineering department organizes a number of networking sessions throughout the year; some of these include calling upon alumni to share their advice. One of the few sessions that I attended this semester consisted of alumni from all ages and phases (yes, it is an engineering pun) of life.

I had the opportunity to interact with a diverse variety of individuals - from my current professor’s classmate back from 1970’s who showed everyone their class photos to a recent graduate who just started working at a company; from a Chemical Engineer who worked for Shell for over 30 years to a Chemical Engineer who is now working in law enforcement as a police officer.

All of them had invaluable knowledge and experiences to share. We discussed issues such as typical job roles, emerging market and the contribution of women in the uprising of engineering. At the end of the session, all the insights and advice kept me encouraged throughout the semester to continue working on those applications even when the psychometric tests and endless cover letters got me bummed up.

 3. Drop-In Sessions and increased tutorials

Like every typical student, I too leave a lot of my coursework for the last minute or sometimes I too need that extra help because I was unable to understand all the content and needed a different way of grasping it. To my benefit, I have had a ball of a time this semester as most of my lecturers acknowledged and acted upon this need. While some choose to reduce the amount of time they ‘blabbed’ on for and instead chose to spend some time on physically going through examples step by step during the lecture, others went ahead to give out worksheets and video tutorials.

Yet, for me the best move so far was having additional drop-in sessions. This semester, we were faced with using a variety of software to carry out a number of engineering related calculations. We all are aware of how most operations in today’s world are becoming highly computerized which means that coding has become as sacred as the concept of thermodynamics. It was a very useful way of ensuring that individuals who were comfortable with the software from the initial sessions would not need to spend additional hours of their busy time while those seeking more help had access to more resources, one on one time and practice which meant that no one would be struggling all by themselves at 2 in the night trying to work on ‘alien’ software.

So there it is guys, my top 3 reasons for being able to breathe a little better, laugh a little louder and sleep a little more this Easter break. However, before I go here is a bonus pro tip… if you are still struggling and yet want to do all the ‘chilling’ I am doing, just find a friend convince them to motivate you to get up and get going.

P.S. I get my flatmate to check up on my study progress every morning and every night. It always helps to put extra tabs on yourself.

Sheffield Engineering Leadership Academy (SELA) by Hemanshi Galaiya

As a student at TUoS, I have opportunities lying right at my feet that only need to be picked up at the correct time and this year has been the perfect time for me to participate in a life changing program. This exclusive program inspired by the acclaimed Gordon Leadership Program at MIT is an intensive 2-year-long extra-curricular leadership scheme that provides the perfect set-up for me to develop myself even further.

It is a well-known fact that the UK is in shortfall of engineers, especially in industry. What is even more alarming is that there are even fewer people equipped with the skills to become leaders in the industry. TUoS is combatting this situation through a multifaceted program famously known as SELA.

My journey with SELA began sometime in mid-march when applications opened. If you didn’t believe me when I mentioned intensive then let me give you evidence now. Each year applications are opened exclusively to first year students on Meng Courses across all departments. In order to identify visionaries, the application not only requires you to talk about your skills but also demands to known what you aim to get out of the program and what you could bring to the team.

Once, your application has gone through the radar, it is now time to demonstrate all the skills you so flamboyantly mentioned. The next step in the recruitment process in an interview with the board members. Here, you get the opportunity to paint the picture of the type of person you are. First, I was required to talk about the leaders that inspire me. Then, produce a 2 minute long pitch about ‘Why I should be selected to join SELA and what I will bring if I am selected.’ Lastly, I was put under the spot light and asked questions regarding some of the tougher aspects of life such as the biggest challenge I faced and how I overcame it.

Only about 0.02% of all engineering students at the university get into the program. The selection process is rigorous and requires demonstration of leadership and project management capabilities. Now, I know many of you are already thinking about saving yourself the trouble and planning to choose the easier option if being lazy. Yet, I would encourage you to give it a go.

Here is why…

Once, the tough part is over, the best part starts. The SELA program encompasses sessions in which members develop and enhance skills. One of the first steps of the program is an induction boot camp. This year, we were taken to a ‘secret’ location where we spent a weekend packed with small workshops for skill building. In each session we were faced with a different task which required using analytic, theoretic and intuitive skills amongst others. Yet, the best part of the boot camp for a student is undoubtedly the leisure of the swimming pool, sauna and hot baths at the golf resort and the scrumptious food prepared especially to meet your taste.

The last task of our boot camp involved building a marble run. Well, you might think that a marble run is fairly easy to make, isn't it?
However, the twist was that we had to do it in 3 different teams each of which were given a different set of information to build a different section of the marble run. That wasn't all, the teams weren't allowed to communicate with each other directly, only one individual from each team could talk to each other and that is when we discovered that between 3 teams, only 2 pairs of scissors were provided. We were already dealing with limited resources, limited communication and then 10 minutes into the task they announced a change in the specification of design and that is when we got an even more real taste of life in engineering!! Our design didn't work at first but after a little improvisation, our master piece past the test!

After the official induction was over, we were introduced to our project for the year; an Outreach Event aimed at promoting engineering to the general public. 10 weeks into the program and I have got additional sessions to develop skills in negotiation, networking, public speaking, project management and enterprise among others via workshops, networking events and technical and industrial experience opportunities. I have interacted with individuals that have the most absurd and yet most brilliant ideas. As part of the requirement to ‘graduate’ from the program, I have to undertake 2 different internships either in research or industry and day-in-day-out, we are introduced to opportunities via the SELA board and I can't wait to get started with my first placement this coming summer.

Personally, I feel guaranteed that this program will enhance my endurance, determination and focus and make me a better leader because it provides a practical approach to engineering - various projects will give me an insight into the process of research thereby paving way for further academic involvement which may encourage me to take up a role in teaching instead of entering the industry. The guest speakers that are invited will help me grow professionally as I will learn from their experiences. Working in more diverse engineering teams will teach me various skills and hence set me apart from others. All in all, it will create networks and industrial relationships for me so that I have an early start in my career.

To end it all, I hope that my experience with SELA will be a legend that will inspire individuals to become the next generation of engineers because this multifaceted program augments technical knowledge by giving a true taste of both research and industry.