MBDA - Undergraduate

Shakti Patel

Aeronautical Engineering

Placement (10 Months+)

MBDA

What made you apply to MBDA UK?

Initially, I had never considered a career in Defence. I happened to meet one of MBDA’s directors at an IMechE event when I was collecting my undergraduate scholarship and he mentioned that they had a site in my home town! I spent a couple of weeks doing some work experience in the summer of my first year of university. This led onto a summer placement and it all went from there…

How much responsibility were you given during your internship?

In the outset, it took some time to familiarise myself with the project. As my understanding of progressed, I was given increasing amounts of responsibility, trust and opportunities to present my own work. By the end of my placement I was travelling to meetings abroad and presenting my analysis of trials results to heads of function! I don’t think that I would have had anywhere near the amount of exposure to technical leadership teams and other sites across Europe had I taken a placement with another company.

What did you enjoy most about your placement / internship?

For me, the multinational nature of MBDA has always been a selling point. I had the opportunity to work in a small team between four countries on a £1M technology advancement project. It was fast paced and I was able to view the whole material development lifecycle, from initial concept to trials and test. The people are also a big seller for me. Having been the only female in the office for my summer placement, I always felt like ‘one of the guys!’

What did you learn on your placement / internship?

I don’t think I can quite fit everything I learnt on my placement here. However, what I can say is that I have grown an incredible amount in the past year. Initially, I was nervous presenting my technical findings to stakeholders, but by the end of my placement I can honestly say I wouldn’t think twice about jumping on a plane to Paris for the day for a meeting or to present my work. Working multi-nationally and cross functionally was extremely challenging, but provided a fascinating opportunity to see how European work cultures fit together and I know this experience will stand me in good stead in the future.

Would you want to return to work full time at MBDA UK and if so, why?

Yes, as a business MBDA has allowed me to steer my experiences and learning in the direction of my choice. I have a particular interest in leadership and from day one, this was always on my manager’s radar – from providing me with a specific mentor, to a specialist placement within the UK technical leadership team. I would also love to work abroad and this is becoming increasingly feasible as MBDA integrates more of its departments into ‘Centres of Excellence’ across Europe.