industrial placement?

[Jemma H]

hey

just wondering if anyone can give me any advice - im on an aerospace business degree at uni and ive just got my 1st year results of a 2:1, so am happily moving on into 2nd year.

the decision i now have to make is whether or not to do an industrial placement.

my career aims are raf flight ops officer or failing that airline/aiport ops in civvy street.

just wondering if anyone had any advice for me on whether you think an industrial placement would b worthwhile, or getting my degree as quickly as possible before progressing into a career is the better option??

thanx in advance!

jemma :D

[woody0381]

Jemma,

I would recommend seeking relevant work experience wherever possible. What university are you at? Some degree courses often constitute a 6 - 12 month period spent in industry - I spent 6 months of my final year working in BAE Systems Flight Test.

A placement is also useful for determinining whether or not the line of work is suitable for you. If you do find that you enjoy the work (and if you perform well), then you may get offered employment once you complete your degree which saves the hassle of jobhunting. If you don't enjoy the placement - then you know where not to apply for work after uni!

Either way, a healthy period of time spent in industry will always look good on a CV.

If you're still looking at the military side of things - search all you can for information on the role of a Flight Ops Officer. Visit the AFCO for advice, post on the Mil forums or see if you can arrange a visit to your nearest RAF station so you can tag along with an Ops officer for half a day.

Oh, and finish your degree.

Woody

[Re-Heat]

Get into the UAS if that is what you want.

[Jemma H]

thanx 4 the replies!

my uni course offers the chance of industrial placement between yr 2 and 3 so would mean me finishing my degree a year later.

im actually already in the UAS and have always wanted to be a military pilot, so started EFT, but unfortunately dont have the natural aptitude and as much time to commit (due to a demanding course at uni) to EFT as i would have liked, so had to withdraw from a pilot trade in UAS 3 weeks ago. i am however, still in the UAS as ground trade so will get all the experience in those areas to find out if its for me!

so obviously from this you can see that military flight ops is my preference - civilian is the backup incase i dont get accepted which is why im really not sure about a placement!!

arrrrrrrrr its all so confusing!!

[woody0381]

Personally, I'd go ahead with the placement and then complete your degree. If you're applying for a ground trade I can't see an extra year at university doing you any harm

It will give you more to talk about during your OASC interview anyway........

[EGBKFLYER]

For various reasons, I did 2 years out - 1 pre-university and one sandwich year. Although it meant I graduated 2 years later than others (and I did 4 years study as well!), I found that I was more focused on my goal than others and more motivated in my final study years too, because I knew why I was studying.

No small motivation too that the second year out led directly to the job I've been doing for the last 6 years (though not for much longer if some will only give me a plane to fly!)

I would highly recommend getting out for a year - I don't think you'll regret it - indeed it may get exactly where you want to go...


Good luck

PS Worth thinking about whether to do BEng or MEng also - with what you intend to do, I doubt the extra study year is going to pay off and the shorter study could offset the effect of the year in industry.

[Groundloop]

If you've only finished first year you can't go around claiming results of a 2:1!

Sorry to be pedantic but years 2 and 3 could change that forecast significantly.

[Re-Heat]

Employers often ask for results from each year of the degree - sounds OK to me.

[Jemma H]

well i did put 'ive just got my 1st year results of a 2:1' n this matters! as an example, ive been looking at BAE n their first criteria to pass is 1st year result of at least a 2:1. so groundloop, im not claiming results of a 2:1 - only 1st year!! im quite aware that 2 more years might change that result - im just hoping itll for the better! ;)

[Re-Heat]

Another tip - speak to the RAeS careers department - they may have some information that could be of use.