One-to-one industry mentoring in Civil Engineering

School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering

The UoB Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) not only advises on the curriculum – they also offer one-to one meetings via a surgery style arrangement. Students can seek advice on a range of placement / employment matters. The IAB comprises academic staff and a team of professionals from leading industry organisations. The Board meets every three months to ensure Civil Engineering courses are relevant and responsive to employers’ needs.

The students receive a weekly email informing them of the two Industry members who are available for a surgery session. The 10 Industry Members are on a rota, with two available each week for students to contact. Students can find information about the members on the IAB webpage

Course leaders suggest that students may wish to discuss or seek advice on:

• Am I on the right course? A masters’ degree (the 4 year course) is generally required to become a Chartered Civil Engineer. Those who graduate with a 3-year degree will need to study for a Masters at some stage after, or apply via an ‘experience’ route later on in their career.

• Advice on final year project subjects
• Summer Placements / Industrial Placement
• Should I work for a Contractor or as a Consultant in my first job?
• What is a career in Civil Engineering like?
• Advice on CV and cover letter writing
• How to develop a LinkedIn profile and market yourself

These meetings are about 30 minutes and can be done face-to-face, or via Skype, Microsoft Teams, Zoom or on the phone.

Student feedback

Feedback received to date from students has been extremely positive, with one student recently receiving a job offer through speaking with a board member.

“I had two meetings with Nigel Clifford… he made me realise that I am still able to become a successful engineer even if I get a 2:2 in my B.Eng. I then spoke to George Plant from Curtins . He really inspired me and gave me a proper understanding of the world of engineering. This call landed me my first ever engineering interview with Curtins and I will be working there as a graduate structural engineer.”

“I had a one-on-one session with Nigel … I just thought it would be a small chat with someone from the industry … but I didn’t realise how wrong I was until the session was done… I learned so much about having the right mindset, started thinking more long-term and having a more proactive attitude to networking and learning as much as I can… I highly recommend them to anyone studying civil engineering or any related course and that take their future seriously.”

“It was easy to access and organise as a weekly message was sent out to students with contact details of multiple IAB members… It really increased my motivation to become a civil engineer and inspired me to apply for summer internships… I have told my friends how useful I found this surgery session and would highly recommend having at least one call with an IAB member to discuss anything of concern.”

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash