We caught up with Sarah about her experience on both the Leonardo Graduate Scheme and her current role. Sarah gives a great insight about her journey into a career as an Engineer and explains her top tips for acing the application process.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I graduated from the University of Sussex in 2020 with a First, where I studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering with an Industrial Placement year. I decided to study Engineering while I was in Secondary school. We took an Electronics’ class which I really enjoyed, where we designed and built circuit boards. I then went on and decided to take Electronics for GCSE. My teacher said I was good at the subject and should consider it as a career - so it all started there really! I enjoyed the hands-on element of the subject and so Electronic Engineering was a nice mix of hands-on and theoretical content.
What is your role and how long have you been at Leonardo?
I work as an Electronic Engineer within the Sensors business. I’ve been with Leonardo for a total of 3 years - this includes my 1-year industrial placement and 2 years on the Graduate Scheme, which I’ve recently completed. Throughout my time, I’ve been involved in a whole range of tasks and projects, from the early stages of products including that of requirement capture, concept design through to testing and maintenance. I have also been involved in STEM outreach, engaging with local schools, to inspire the next generation of potential Engineering and STEM students.
What inspired you to apply for this role/this company?
I always knew that I wanted to be involved in either the Motor or Defence industry. I came across Leonardo while I was looking for an industrial placement during my degree. I’d never really heard of Leonardo before, so I did some research into the company to discover more about what Leonardo offered, their products, services and opportunities. From defence equipment to air ambulances, I discovered that Leonardo worked on a range of products that were all used in the real world. Also, the fact that they covered a vast spectrum of industries really interested me.
Top tips for anyone who’d like to apply for a role at Leonardo?
Take any opportunity you’re given! Whether that’s at university or college or any extracurricular activities. Even if you’re only there for a short period of time, you can gain key experiences. Also, make sure you note down your key skills in your application, including what software you are familiar with. Even if you’ve only had a little bit of exposure, it all counts, so writing those things down are important! Make sure you research the company, understand what they do and think about what kind of areas you’d enjoy the most. Also, make sure you apply early!
What is the company culture like?
Everyone is very friendly and approachable, and you meet people from all walks of life. It’s a very welcoming environment and there’s this huge sense of inclusion. The environment at Leonardo gives you so many opportunities to grow and develop, and there’s a strong feeling of being valued within your team. There’s also the chance to work in multidiscipline teams, so you get to meet people from different sectors, which is great! There’s also custom working so getting to work from home and in the office - which gives you the ability to have a good work-life balance.
What do you find most interesting about the sector/industry you’re in?
Leonardo is involved in a such a variety of products and services. It’s always interesting to learn more about the innovative products that are being used and produced, such as defence and communication systems. I enjoy being able to work across a range of products throughout the various stages of their life cycle, from the initial concept design through to development, integration and all the way up to testing. There’s also the ability to continually learn new things, technologies and systems in an evolving technological environment. I also really enjoy the hands-on side of Engineering. For example, designing the schematic and then physically working with the product I’ve designed. Also, then using various different surface mount assembly equipment to build the PCBs I’ve designed, so I really enjoy the variety of work and learning new things.
Have you come across any challenges?
I think a challenge everyone finds is settling into the workplace. Especially when you’re fresh out of university, it’s all about being able to apply the theory you’ve learnt from university into the real world. So, it’s that shift between everything being theory based, to being able to apply it – but the team has been incredibly supportive in this shift!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
It’s worth anyone whose completing their degree to consider doing an Industrial Placement. It really opens your eyes; you can get a great insight into the industry, and it confirms whether it’s the career path you wish to take. As it’s a yearlong placement, if you realise it’s not the right fit for you, you’ve still gained a whole range of skills. That additional year experience gives you a great head start when you finish your degree!
Keen to find out more? View Leonardo's profile here.