Early Careers - Analysis, Modelling and Simulation

How long have you worked in your current role at QinetiQ?

Just over a year, I started in September 2021

Where do you work?

I have worked at Portsdown Technology Park (PTP) for the duration of my graduate scheme as I have lived in Portsmouth for the last 5 years. I could go on forever about my love for Portsmouth as a city, but one of my favourite things about the site itself is the stunning views over Portsmouth to the South, and the South Downs to the North. Perfect for a lunchtime stroll around the site!

What do you like most about your role?

I really love the programming aspect of my role; as part of the graduate scheme I have had the chance to apply my programming skills in different ways and also in different coding languages, and it has been a fantastic experience. I have learned a lot about different approaches to problems and I can really see how my skills have developed over the last year. I also like how as a graduate, I have had the opportunity to work in multiple teams and experience different ways of working. I feel like this has given me a better understanding of the context of my day to day work.

How long have you worked in your current role at QinetiQ?

Just over a year, I started in September 2021

Where do you work?

I have worked at Portsdown Technology Park (PTP) for the duration of my graduate scheme as I have lived in Portsmouth for the last 5 years. I could go on forever about my love for Portsmouth as a city, but one of my favourite things about the site itself is the stunning views over Portsmouth to the South, and the South Downs to the North. Perfect for a lunchtime stroll around the site!

What do you like most about your role?

I really love the programming aspect of my role; as part of the graduate scheme I have had the chance to apply my programming skills in different ways and also in different coding languages, and it has been a fantastic experience. I have learned a lot about different approaches to problems and I can really see how my skills have developed over the last year. I also like how as a graduate, I have had the opportunity to work in multiple teams and experience different ways of working. I feel like this has given me a better understanding of the context of my day to day work.

What has working within this role at QinetiQ taught you?

I have learned so much about the defence industry as a whole and also in my role within the field of radar. I have also had the opportunity to practice various skills I learned at university such as programming, technical writing and delivering presentations. I have also gained a lot of confidence in general as I have continued to gain knowledge and experience.

What have you achieved in your role so far?  

I would say one of my proudest achievements so far is developing a tool from scratch while teaching myself Python as I went. It was a challenge at first, as I was largely new to the language, having spent just a few weeks on it at university. I soon got the hand of it though, as my brain works far better when I am just given a problem to solve, rather than receiving more formal training in a language. It was incredibly rewarding to see real progress in both the tool and my skills over the time that I was working on it.

One of the things I have found most challenging so far was taking part in my first trial as it was very soon after I joined so I was very new to the business. It was really interesting to be involved with this trial and I found it very rewarding; I got the chance to meet several people I would likely not have crossed paths with otherwise.

Why would you recommend a career at QinetiQ?

I would recommend QinetiQ because there is a lot of important work going on in different areas so there is always something interesting to get stuck into. Even though I have stayed at a single site for the duration of my graduate scheme, I have been involved with so many interesting projects and had some fantastic opportunities.

What has working within this role at QinetiQ taught you?

I have learned so much about the defence industry as a whole and also in my role within the field of radar. I have also had the opportunity to practice various skills I learned at university such as programming, technical writing and delivering presentations. I have also gained a lot of confidence in general as I have continued to gain knowledge and experience.

What have you achieved in your role so far?  

I would say one of my proudest achievements so far is developing a tool from scratch while teaching myself Python as I went. It was a challenge at first, as I was largely new to the language, having spent just a few weeks on it at university. I soon got the hand of it though, as my brain works far better when I am just given a problem to solve, rather than receiving more formal training in a language. It was incredibly rewarding to see real progress in both the tool and my skills over the time that I was working on it.

One of the things I have found most challenging so far was taking part in my first trial as it was very soon after I joined so I was very new to the business. It was really interesting to be involved with this trial and I found it very rewarding; I got the chance to meet several people I would likely not have crossed paths with otherwise.

Why would you recommend a career at QinetiQ?

I would recommend QinetiQ because there is a lot of important work going on in different areas so there is always something interesting to get stuck into. Even though I have stayed at a single site for the duration of my graduate scheme, I have been involved with so many interesting projects and had some fantastic opportunities.

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