We’re excited to share Sarah’s internship journey at MU Group balancing a demanding university schedule with hands-on industry experience. Her passion and commitment are great to see.
Tell us how it is working at MU Group while being a full-time university student?
Before starting at MU Group, I had some concerns regarding entering the engineering industry whilst balancing the workload of a full-time student. I very quickly discovered how accommodating MU Group is for students, with the mindset that being a student comes first, they encouraged me to take time off during busy assessment or exam periods.
Can you describe a project or task at MU Group where you directly applied something you learned in your university courses?
Surveying was taught during my first year, introducing us to the field and tools used to collect surveying data. This has been useful on all MU Group projects, and I’ve often had the opportunity to go on-site to observe the investigations in progress. It was valuable to link the theoretical teachings to the practical applications on the job.
How has your internship at MU Group shaped your career aspirations or future academic goals?
I’ve always aspired to be an engineer. Entering university was a bit of a shock to the system!
With an extremely heavy focus on maths and theoretical-based subjects, I was starting to experience concern about whether this was the right industry for me. Whilst the subjects were incredibly informative, I found that my interest lay more with the practical and project management side of engineering.
After starting at MU Group in my second year, I got first-hand experience of the industry and the opportunity to pursue experience that better stimulated me. I was introduced to a wide range of engineering such as road and bridge design, utility management, hydraulics and hydrology, pavements, traffic modelling and stakeholder management. This practical experience on a variety of projects has reaffirmed my current career goal of being a Senior Project Manager or Project Director and has given me a better idea of what technical areas I hope to specialise in.
If you could give a piece of advice to your fellow undergraduates, what would you say?
The phrase “there’s no such thing as a dumb question” may be cliché but it’s true! The best way to learn quicker and more efficiently is to seek clarity when you don’t understand a task or technical term. There’s no shame in admitting that you don’t know something, it’s better to speak up and be shown rather than staying quiet and doing it incorrectly.
All your colleagues have been in your position before and won’t judge you, so embrace your curiosity and ask away!
