We caught up with Sarah about her experience on the Leonardo Graduate Scheme. She shares a great insight into the collaborative culture at the firm and gave us her top application tips.
Hi I’m Sarah. Prior to applying to the Leonardo Graduate Scheme, I completed a Math and Physics degree at the Open University. I was working full time alongside my degree, so I had to be very self-motivated, but I really enjoyed it. I did a week’s work experience with Leonardo and found that I really liked the company, so applied for the Graduate Scheme from there.
What is your current role?
I’m a Supportability Engineer, so I cover areas such as Training to Technical Publication as well as ILS (Integrated Logistics Support). This focuses on the maintenance side of things meaning I look at reliability, logistics and support. I’ve been at Leonardo for 2 years starting off on their graduate scheme.
What inspired you to apply for this role/this company?
I always knew I wanted to do something technology related, and my original interest was in Space. Although it’s not their main focus, I knew Leonardo worked in this area. As I mentioned, I completed work experience with Leonardo which I really enjoyed, so when I saw that they did a Graduate Scheme I was keen to apply. I liked the idea of having the opportunity to be trained up and it’s a good way to get into the Engineering sector.
Top tips for anyone who’d like to apply for a role at Leonardo?
Definitely emphasise your soft skills as these are your base. If you’re going for an Engineering role, you might have some technical skills from your degree but, it’s those soft skills that you’re going to work from. You’re not going to know or be expected to know everything going into the scheme. On your application show you have key skills such as leadership, had opportunities to manage and worked as a team etc., as these are definitely some of the big ones. At Leonardo you work a lot as a team so it’s very important! Also research the company, for example what we do here at Leonardo and about the role itself.
What is the company culture like?
Leonardo has a great work environment and everyone’s so friendly. Any questions I’ve had, have always been happily answered and my team’s been so supportive. There’re also lots of opportunities, so if you want to try out other things you definitely have the chance to. Being such a big company, it means you don’t just have to stick to one role which is great. Having access to so many opportunities is a big part of the culture at Leonardo! I also found that on the graduate scheme everyone was so supportive. Even throughout the pandemic it was great fun, for instance, all of us on our cohort did the graduate courses together. It was also interesting to be introduced into the role I’m doing now; it involves a lot of learning analyses and I get to use some of my Maths and Physics degree, which I enjoy.
What do you find most interesting about the sector/industry you’re in?
I work with a lot of cutting-edge technology and it’s really interesting. If you love technology, you’ll learn so much and get to use it in your role. It’s especially interesting when you get to be hands-on and see how things work – that’s really cool.
Have you come across any challenges?
In some ways, the entire graduate scheme has been a challenge but in a good way! It’s been all about adjusting, learning and picking up on all those key skills. Also, it’s been fun to push myself and get myself out there, speak to lots of different people and learn new things. It’s more of a positive spin on a challenge.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! They’re so many people around you who have such a wealth of knowledge and you’re not going to know everything. Even after 2 years there’s still so much to know and learn, as I’m only really entering the world of it all. So, ask questions and draw on other people’s knowledge, they’ll be happy to help you. Also, my role is quite niche but it’s an area we definitely need more people in, so definitely apply. It’s fantastic and Engineering is a sector where people should get involved.
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