In their final year, our students can take a module working in a company. Katie Hardman took advantage of this to work in FTSE-100 company, Babcock International, who have now offered her a graduate role.
“Studying Maths at Plymouth has helped me to develop skills in many different areas, the most important of which being greater confidence in my abilities," said Katie. "The support from lecturers and the skills I learned in classes increased my self-confidence to such a point that I completed an industrial placement, something that I hadn’t previously considered. The placement was at a well-known and respected company, Babcock International, working on their Data Modelling team. Although this wasn’t something that I had considered as a career choice, I really enjoyed my time there and have since decided that it is perfect for me.
"Whilst there I was shown what the team do, and learnt a lot about data modelling in general. I also worked on a project to increase the efficiency of machine-operated production. In doing this I’ve learnt a lot about real-life problems and how to solve them, gaining invaluable transferable skills. The placement was interesting, educational and I gained great contacts within the company.
"Following this experience, I have been lucky enough to be offered a graduate role on the team that I worked with. This takes a lot of pressure off me during my third year, and also makes me confident that I will enjoy my future job. I found that the skills I had already gained at the University prepared me well for the experience and also for future jobs. The great thing about studying at the University of Plymouth is that the lecturers are very supportive and are genuinely invested in seeing students do well. As such, I would recommend the University of Plymouth to any prospective students.”