Mariam Al-Kayssi
Meet Mariam. After a difficult start at Herts, Mariam went on to secure a job with an engineering consultancy firm and has ambitions to work in the space sector.
| Current job role | Project Engineer for Alten |
|---|---|
| Year of graduation | 2021 |
| Course of study | BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering with Space Technology |
A perfect fit
Mariam had always been fascinated by space, and she felt that the BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering with Space Technology degree would give her the chance to combine that curiosity with her love of engineering and technology. Mariam says, ‘It was the perfect fit for me.’
She attended an open day at Herts and said it was the best university she had visited. Mariam adds, ‘Lots of things about Herts appealed to me including the campus, societies, and how highly regarded their aerospace engineering programmes are. Herts aerospace engineering graduates are highly sought after, so I knew that I would have plenty of opportunities once I completed the course.’
Favourite memories
Mariam spent a lot of time in the Learning Resources Centre (LRC), especially during her second and third years. She says, ‘Towards the end of my course we would practically live in the LRC, more so when we had a deadline coming up. Even if things were stressful, studying there with my friends would cheer me up and these moments kept me sane. Our LRC sessions are some of my favourite memories from Herts.’
As she prepared for employment, Mariam sought advice from the University’s Careers and Employment Service. She booked an appointment with a careers advisor and had 1:1 support with creating a CV.
Her career so far and advice
Mariam is a Project Engineer for Alten, an engineering consultancy company in the aerospace sector. She believes her course prepared her well for the role, adding, ‘I learnt how to manage my time and organise my workload effectively. I also built resilience, allowing me to better overcome setbacks and obstacles.’
She has now been offered a job with an aerospace and defence engineering company called Leonardo, where she will be enrolling on their graduate scheme in September 2023. Her advice for students looking to follow in her footsteps is, ‘Never let failure deter you from what you want to achieve. I didn’t do well during my first year at Herts, but I was able to secure an amazing first job after graduating. Setbacks are temporary, and it’s only upward from there!’