Author Post Archive
Grace Pownall

Grace Pownall

Civil Engineering Student, Nottingham

View this author's profile

Posts by Grace Pownall

Three Reasons to Become a Digital Ambassador

By Grace Pownall, final year, studying civil engineering Throughout University, I’ve had a range of student ambassador roles; working at open days, writing blogs for Careers, and participating in calling campaigns to potential students. One of the most exciting roles I’ve undertaken, though, is as a Digital Ambassador. Working for the University Digital Team, I’ve …

Three Ways to Make the Most of Your Last University Summer Break

By Grace Pownall, final year, studying civil engineering With three months off between my final University exam and starting my grad job in Nottingham – more on this here – I’ve got a lot of free time to fill this summer. I’ve spent a good portion of my last two summers doing work experience placements, so …

Five Tips to Help You Find a Graduate Job with Your Dream Company

By Grace Pownall, final year, studying civil engineering Way back in October 2015, right at the beginning of my second year, I wrote my first-ever careers blog post. For it I covered the civil engineering autumn careers fair. I went along with a particular goal in mind: to kick-start my search for the perfect summer placement.  Little …

comments 1

Transferable Skills You Can Develop With Any Degree

By Grace Pownall, final year, studying civil engineering I recently attended the first ever Spotlight On: Alternative Careers For Engineers. It was aimed at students who didn’t want to become graduate engineers and wanted to explore different career paths. I have really enjoyed studying civil engineering for the last four years, but I was still …

no comments

Key Skills I’ve Learned as a Society President

By Grace Pownall, final year, studying civil engineering After two years on the committee for the civil engineering society, including one as president, the time has come for me to hang up my hard hat and steel-toe-capped boots. Being on a society committee has been big part of my day-to-day life, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Not only …

no comments

Building a Career in Construction: A Job That Can Take You Places

Last year, I attended the inaugural Spotlight On Construction, to find out more about this career path. I thoroughly enjoyed the event, which provided a great insight into what it’s like to have a career in construction. There was also ample opportunity to network with the speakers. This event helped confirm my interest in pursuing …

comments 2

Face-To-Face Networking for the First Time? 5 Tips and Tricks

By Grace Pownall, third year, MEng Hons Civil Engineering This summer, I decided to invest some time into growing my professional network by attending two conferences at the Institution of Structural Engineers. One specifically for young engineers and one focusing on sustainability, very relevant to my final-year dissertation. Walking up the stairs to a conference room …

comments 1

Five Fun Ways to Make Money at University

By Grace Pownall, third year, MEng Hons Civil Engineering Balancing part time work with a full time degree can be a daunting prospect. However, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. During my time at Nottingham, I have had several temporary,  casual jobs – but none of them felt like hard …

no comments

Women In Engineering: Part Two

By Grace Pownall, third year, MEng Hons Civil Engineering On 2nd February, engineering students from across the faculty joined professional engineers from a range of industries to discuss what it is like to work in a male-dominated industry. I am writing this blog exactly one year since I published a post called “How women are thriving …

no comments

How to Get More out of An Employer Presentation

By Grace Pownall, student blogger Last year, I attended employer presentations by two engineering consultancies, Arup and Atkins. These presentations are designed to attract potential applicants for the company’s graduate schemes, however they are equally useful for someone searching for a summer placement or work experience, like I was.  Here are five reasons why employer presentations …

no comments