Geetha Kiranmayee Sathi

What have you been doing since finishing your studies? What are you doing in terms of your career?

As soon as I finished my graduation in December, I got placed in a building services firm as a Graduate Electrical Engineer in London on January 2015, providing electrical services to many global projects. It’s been more than a year & half and I have been enjoying my career in this field. Currently I am working towards gaining my Charter ship under Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET). 

What company are you currently working for, what is your role and what does it involve?

Currently I am working as an Electrical Engineer for a building services (RAIL) company called Arcadis UK Limited in London, which is recognized as the leading global design and engineering consultancy for natural and built assets. The most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of my job involve:
•    Designing unique, innovative and sustainable electrical systems like drawing up plans using computer aided design and building information modelling (BIM) software’s.
•    Making sure my designed system meets the building regulations and health & safety requirements.
•    Working with multi-disciplined design teams located in other countries such as USA, Dubai, India, and Australia.
•    Attending meetings, presenting ideas and interacting with clients, colleagues and peers.
•    Organising various CPD presentations from well-renowned suppliers to keep up to date information on new product developments.

The important aspect of my job is to work out ways to lower carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency and generally reduce the environmental impact on buildings.

What experiences at Leeds do you think have particularly helped with your career or will help with your future career?

Leeds has provided me with a wide variety of exciting opportunities to relish my student experience and develop an entirely global outlook benefiting me both personally and professionally. In particular, the course I chose has enabled me to broaden my experience and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to secure the top graduate job in the industry. The experts in the career centre had assisted me from beginning of my student life providing me constant guidance on wide range of available opportunities and the steps to be followed to pursue my career choices. Also the career fares conducted at the University has given me another platform to interact directly with well-renowned companies like TATA Steel, Accenture, Aecom, Petrofac etc., and present my job application before them. Looking at my current job and to the future, my motto is to make a difference and inspire others to also make a difference.

Looking back, why did you choose to study your particular course and why did you choose the University of Leeds?

Engineering has always been my passion and I always wanted a career in the field of engineering and technology. Hence, after my pre-university education I took a step forward towards Engineering as my main stream and started to walk towards my dream and goal. After my under-graduation in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, my interest towards generating sustainable solutions to make the earth greener place to live, has dragged me to do masters in Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Systems and pursue my career in the similar field. The reason I chose University of Leeds is due to its worldwide ranking in research & innovation, first class faculty and research based course modules. Especially the strong commitment by faculty of engineering to support women in engineering has added an extra point on my list to choose this University among others in United Kingdom.

What were the best aspects of your academic life at University and why? Any highlights?

The best aspect of the University is the academic facilities like well-equipped laboratories, lecture theatres and impressive libraries with easy access to all the books (including many e-books and journals) required for the course. Moreover additional support from the personal tutor who had taken special interest in my well-being and provided general academic guidance and direction through regular meetings during the year has enabled my university journey go smooth. I would say the University of Leeds itself is the best highlight of the city with rich multi-cultural life offering great opportunities for the international students thereby giving a home like feeling.

What other activities outside of your studies were you involved in?

Most of my time flew in studies and taking tours to libraries or departments but whenever I had spare time, I would spend good time with my friends in the Leeds University Union canteen which provides healthy food choices and a great opportunity to meet students from different countries & cultural backgrounds. Sometimes I was involved in few of the events conducted by St Marks Residencies which was my second home and the best accommodation I have ever been. Last but not the least the Global Saturday trips to many places was one of the best ways to explore UK and have great time with friends and to meet new people.

What advice would you give to students thinking about choosing the same area of study at Leeds or thinking about the same career?

I would like to give a suggestion to the new comers who are going to be future renewable engineers that being an engineer doesn’t imply only learning the principles of engineering and applying them in your job, but on how you can contribute it to the development of the society. So before you start your process of applying to this course just think for a moment what you want to achieve in your life and how you can contribute your learnt skills to this society in order to create a sustainable world where our future generations can live in harmony.