I felt that College was a supportive academic environment where I was able to knuckle-down and focus on my A-levels, make friends and think about my plans for the future. Initiatives such as the Aspire Programme helped me discover that Mechanical Engineering was the right path for me as well as preparing me to apply to top universities. By fostering self-study and time management skills, College also prepared me for independent university life, so my first year at university seemed like less of a big jump.

At the moment I design batteries for Tesla vehicles at the Gigafactory in Berlin. It’s a very interesting job with a lot of real-world impact, particularly for decarbonisation of the transport system, which is why I love it. It can be quite stressful since I have a lot of responsibility, but this results in great learning experiences which boost my professional growth.

I’d previously completed an internship at Tesla in California, doing the same role, which is how I landed this job. Before that, as part of my degree I did a year in industry placement at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in Coventry, working as an undergraduate Propulsion Engineer in the research department. It was there that I developed my interest in batteries, and this ultimately contributed to me getting hired as an intern at Tesla. A year prior to my JLR placement, I did a summer internship at Volution in Crawley, which designs and manufactures ventilation equipment. During this internship, I developed the company’s sustainability and recycling strategy and this was a key step in my professional development as my first engineering role.

For students interested in pursuing engineering, I’d say it’s important to get as much work experience as possible early on. Engineering is a very broad field, so I think it’s good to see what engineering discipline is right for you by trying things out. This experience will also help you with your university application and any future internship/job applications. Once you are at university, get as much internship experience as you can during your summer holidays, as this will help guide your career once you graduate. I would also recommend exploring Degree Apprenticeships as an alternative to university.

The most important thing is to just go for it! I would never have imagined I could get hired in the USA or Germany at a company like Tesla, but I gave it a shot anyway. Engineering is an incredible field which opens many doors and is extremely interesting and impactful. Also, don’t be put off if you feel like you don’t ‘fit’ the engineering stereotype – as a ‘girlie girl’ I have felt very different to many of my peers in this field, but it hasn’t impacted my ability to be a good engineer.

Jessica Parker

Reigate College: 2017-2019

Higher Education: MEng Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London

Currently: Associate Mechanical Design Engineer (Battery Engineering), Tesla (Berlin)