Have you ever wondered what our students do before they start their placement search?
Soubhagya, a successfully placed student from the January 2021 cohort shared what she did prior to her placement search. She
- Had conversations with Step Recruitment
- Understood the University’s placement requirements
- Had a CV Review with the Step Team
Following these steps, Soubhagya started her placement search which took about 3 months. These were three long months with several obstacles like having to turn down a job offer because it was not in line with the university requirements, the high competition in the job market and experiencing difficulties as an international student on a visa looking for a placement. Determined to secure a placement, she did not let the obstacles hinder her, she kept applying using Glassdoor, LinkedIn and Indeed (specifically those that directed her to the company’s website)
In April 2022, she secured a placement as a QA Engineer at Astro Lighting Ltd. Astro Lighting is a company dedicated to crafting high-quality British lighting solutions that transcend trends, offering a diverse catalogue of reliable lighting solutions for any environment. As a QA Engineer she was involved in
- analysing quality measures,
- assessing lighting production materials,
- ensuring regulations are adhered to,
- reviewing lighting designs confirming that they match with the designs,
- handling productions problems when they arise, and
- approving finished products after verifying production specifications have been met.
“The Step Team were with me throughout the whole placement- even when I got my placement. They were a great help”
Prior to her placement year, Soubhagya was a full-time student at the University of Greenwich studying a Master’s in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering with Industrial Practice. She explained that taught year was “really important” and helped her understand her role better. The following modules aided her success as a QA Engineer
- The Advanced Process Improvement Techniques module helped when she went into the manufacturing site “to understand what the defects were and how to work on it”,
- The Finite Element Applications module helped when she was faced with surprises, for example “when the products with copper and concrete products that had thermal stresses started to crack, we had to do FEA on them and I knew what I was doing”,
- The Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing module which included elements of 3D printing helped because at Astro Lighting, “they 3D printed all products prototypes”
Having obtained a master’s degree, she is now in a better position to secure a job in the future. The selection of modules for the MSc program by the university was commendable, as explained by Soubhagya.
The best parts of her placement year at Astro Lighting were her team and the way her managers accepted her knowledge and way of doing things. She gave an example of her idea to spare the company products going to waste and giving to charity. This method is still being used by the company’s quality teammate.
“My placement at Astro Lighting exceeded my expectations”
Following a successful year at Astro Lighting, Soubhagya has secured a permanent sponsored role as a QA Engineer at a UK construction company that specialises in mechanical, electrical and plumbing fittings.
