• Question: How much does what university you go to matter?

    Asked by 620enec49 to Hilly, Lee, Liz, Tadhg, Yasmin on 14 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Lee Margetts

      Lee Margetts answered on 14 Jun 2015:

      @620enec49. We are very lucky in the United Kingdom to have so many world class universities. Each one may be better than another in certain areas, so I’d recommend thinking about what you want to do and look for a university that has a great reputation in that area. There’s a lot of information in various sources on the internet that compare universities.

    • Photo: Yasmin Ali

      Yasmin Ali answered on 14 Jun 2015:

      I think it matters less the more experience you have. When you first graduate, and you’re looking for your first job, employers could look more closely at it. Although I think if you do well and you do lots of work placements, whatever university you’re at, that sets you up to be successful.

    • Photo: Tadhg O'Donovan

      Tadhg O'Donovan answered on 14 Jun 2015:

      Hi 620enec49, (not sure how to pronounce – but my name’s not much easier :))

      Choice of University matters a bit – but perhaps not as much as you might think; employers do look past the University to the candidate themselves. One thing I would say, if you want to be an engineer is to find an “accredited” degree. This means that the engineering course has to meet some specific standards set by (I Mech E, I Chem E etc), and you can apply for chartership after a few years of work experience.

      After that, my advice is to do your homework and find the right fit between you and the University course. There are lots of engineering degree courses out there and they all do things differently. Some are teaching focused, others spend more time on research. Some are aligned with particular employers (Oil and Gas companies or Aerospace or Pharmaceutical etc etc). But I go back to my original point – all employers I have met are very candidate focused – they want to know how you would fit in with their company ethos and what you can offer them. Look out for opportunities for summer placements with them too, to build a relationship with them.

      Good luck!

    • Photo: Liz Meddings

      Liz Meddings answered on 15 Jun 2015:

      I think it matters more to you from a personal point of view rather than an employers point of view. If you get a good result, then you’ll get in the door for interviews. Choose a university that offers you an interesting course and also a great social life in an area you are interested in. I went to Sheffield Uni which is a top choice for climbers as the Peak District is a bus ride away.

    • Photo: David Hill

      David Hill answered on 15 Jun 2015:

      Hi 620enec49!

      There are so many factors in your question, some of the guys have already touched on them…

      Its all about what fits you best!
      Things you might want to research:
      The course – what you will learn! Is it accredited?
      Where will you stay? How far is it from home?

      Some employers will have preferred universities… but in the UK we are blessed with a superb number of high quality universities.

      If there is a particular job you’d be interested in… it might be worth contacting them, asking them about their opinion! Although speaking from personal experience… their answer will be whatever university they went too! (I’d definitely recommend the University of Strathclyde!)

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