As
I reach the halfway point in my postgrad course, I can say it has certainly
been a rewarding experience that brings both challenges and opportunities.
Whether you’re looking for a change in career or a chance to progress in your
current industry, studying for a Masters is definitely the way to go! To use my
favourite tag line since coming here, I would say “Give It A Go!”
I
have always been passionate about environmental sustainability. When I
graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I started working for the
Canadian Environment Agency as a review engineer, issuing permits to ensure companies complied with environmental legislature. But after several years, I
began to question if this was really what I wanted to do.
While
I learnt a lot as a regulator, I didn’t really have the experience of dealing
with real engineering issues. Solving problems and providing solutions to clients
– that experience only comes from being a private sector consultant, who
literally worked on the “other side of the fence” submitting projects to me for
approval!
At
that time, all I could think of was a switch to private consultancy, but I was
disheartened by my lack of experience compared to others already working in
this area. This was when it dawned on me that further study could be a way to boost
my CV. I had always wanted to learn more about the technical aspects of
environmental engineering, and the longer I worked for the Environment Agency
the more interested I became. Amazingly, when I talked to my supervisor about my
career dilemma, his reply was “try
Sheffield” - turned out he had completed his MSc here!
I
immediately did the research and found the perfect match; a multi-disciplinary
program that tackles both energy and environmental sustainability in one of the
best schools in the UK. Of course I had my doubts – am I already too old for this? Would Sheffield view my overseas
experience favourably? But I decided to just give it a go anyway. And with
the help of my supervisor as one of the referees, I was accepted on to the
program and also received an entrance scholarship.
If
there is one thing I have learnt from my journey to Sheffield, it is to keep
exploring the options available to you and don’t be afraid to ask. A glass may
be half-full or half-empty, but to an engineer the glass represents the
potential to achieve so much more!
Ben Tang, MSc(Eng) Environmental and Energy Engineering
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