"The 3 personality types that I matches with are Coach, Influencer and Quality Controller. All 3 have traits that I can see in myself but the one that I can most relate to is ‘Coach’. I have been a swimming teacher for 5 years which has allowed me to really develop these skills as well as learning how to work with a range of different people. I love working within a team as I believe that it will always lead to a bigger success as each person has their own strengths and expertise. Both the ‘Coach’ and ‘Influencer’ personalities have qualities which I think are key to being a valuable team member; compassion, trust, good at explaining, good at listening, diplomatic. I work within different groups and teams made up with people from such a range of backgrounds on a daily basis so these qualities are all ones that I try to embody. The ‘Quality Controller’ personality is definitely important for my job as it is vital to pay attention to detail in order to avoid making mistakes that could result in products breaking or people getting injured. This requires you to be ‘good at managing risk’ in order to maintain a high level of safety and to keep people safe."

"As a placement student I am still at the early stage of my career and am not a qualified mechanical engineer yet as I still have 2 more years left of university after this year of working at BAE Systems. Industrial placement salaries for mechanical engineering can vary between £15,000 and £23,000 /year but after you graduate will be around £28,000 /year. As a mechanical engineer I get to see and work on lots of different projects which use a variety of different concepts and techniques. I do structural analysis of members, sections, assemblies by looking at the forces and stresses experienced in the object due to factors like weight, wind loading and shock loading. Another area that I do a lot of working in is thermal and flow analysis which is to do with seeing how when an object heats up, it affects its surroundings because a lot of components have specific operating temperatures so if they get to hot or cold they will stop working. In order to prevent this happening, a heat exchanger and fans are often used. A heat exchanger will lower the air temperature and a fan will help the air flow quicker and in a chosen direction. The thing I enjoy most about my job is being able to see what I work on and sometimes things that I design being implemented in real life! It is a real sense of achievement to see that all your hard work as paid off at has led to something physical and built that is working in front of you."

"My first job when I was a teenager was as a swimming teacher at my local leisure centre and a coach at my swimming club where I had been swimming for over 10 years. I did GCSE’s and A-Levels and throughout school was involved in almost every sport under the sun and also did a variety of extra-curricular science and DT activities. After school I went on to study Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough University where I have currently completed 2 years of my Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. I am now working at BAE Systems for a year as my Industrial Placement and after this year I will go back to Loughborough to complete the last 2 years of my degree. I have always loved science and maths even though there are a lot of confusing and difficult parts to understand! What particularly fascinates me is how things work - whether it is how hydroelectric power stations generate electricity through water flow, how the air pressure and flow changes determine the weather or how a seemingly simple looking structure like a bridge or bracket can hold so much weight! My inspiration has always come from my Mum who showed me not to let social expectations such as gender stereotyping dissuade you from achieving your dreams. Another person who really inspired me was Mandy Hickson who was only the second woman to fly a Tornado GR4 on the front line. I heard her speak at school and it was one of the most incredible, powerful and inspirational talks I have ever heard and, even though it was about 5 years ago now, I still remember how motivated and energised after it."

"Almost every second of spare time I have is spent playing sport and over the years I have done so many different types but my favourites are definitely swimming and hockey. I have hockey matches every Saturday and, although I swim a lot less than I used to, I now play waterpolo at university. Waterpolo is such a niche sport but is so much fun and great for fitness too! One of my ambitions in life is to swim the channel because I think it would be so much fun and such an amazing experience! "

"When I arrive at work in the morning the first thing that I do is check and reply to my emails. I then start whatever work I have to do. A lot of the work involves going down to the factory floor to see equipment or components and when I do this I have to wear safety boots and a lab coat. A lot of the work I do at my desk on the computer and also sketching and working stuff out on paper. Occasionally I get to go on work trips away to witness testing or visit suppliers – The most exciting one so far is that I went to Rosyth Dockyard near Edinburgh in Scotland!!"

"AS - GermanA Level - Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Design Technology: Product Design (3D Design)Currently working towards a degree in Mechanical Engineering (MEng)"