Student - Eddie

Health in Social Sciences (MA Hons)

Why did you apply to Insights?

I applied because it seemed like a good way to connect to the university and also because I have very limited experience of the 'professional' workspace and wanted to learn more about life after University.

What advice would you give to future participants?

Explain your Insights experience. 

During the Immersion Week in June I visited three different alumni at their workplaces across Edinburgh, in very different employment sectors. These were:

• Megan, who is a Programme Manager at AbacusBio, in the BioQuarter 
  AbacusBio works to promote crop yield in the farming industry, using selective breeding of plants and animals to combat rising issues such as global warming and an increasing population.

   

• Beth, who is a Software Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group 
  Obviously Lloyds has a multitude of departments but our visit with Beth was primarily focused on her job as a Software Engineer, where she explained to us about the behind the scenes coding that takes place to insure everyone's private data is protected from hackers and others who wish to do harm.

   

• Praveen, who is an Engineer/project manager at STMicroelectronics 
  This was a very full day, STMicroelectronics are responsible for making the tiny microchips that can be found in many commonly used modern products - such as your mobile phone. We were given a tour of the equipment made to make such a delicate item, as well as briefed on all of the safety risks that come with pointing infrared cameras into your eyes all day and how they test for this. We also had the opportunity to try out some coding and wiring ourselves.

What did you learn?

I learned that people are not tied to their degrees, what seems to matter is that you have the commitment and resilience to earn that degree in the first place. I also learned not to judge a book by it's cover and that even financial companies are now trying for sustainability and promoting social justice.

How have you benefited from the experience?

I have benefitted by having my horizons broadened and gaining the opportunity to speak to people from wildly different fields than my own. I also know much more about genetic engineering and microelectronics than I ever would have otherwise.

How will this experience influence you and/or your choices in the future?

It has given me the confidence to connect with people outside of my own circles and given me greater insight to the career choices of others which will be of importance once I am a counsellor.