Nicholas Ward
Degree studied: MEng Civil Engineering
Year of graduation: 2011
Where did you do your internship and in what year of your studies were you in?
I was successful in attaining an internship with BP plc in their Drilling & Completions Department of their North Sea business unit. I was based in the company’s modern Dyce offices next to Aberdeen airport. It was a summer internship between my penultimate and final year of my masters degree and lasted 11 weeks.
Why did you decide to do an internship?
I had always felt that in order to get the most out of my time at University that I should supplement my education with some practical work experience. I chose to apply for BP in particular as the Oil & Gas industry had always interested me. I was also aware that BP offered scholarships to interns from Strathclyde University.
Describe what sort of tasks and projects you worked on with your internship?
Not knowing what to expect from an internship I had images of me making tea all day, but I was in fact handed my own project. This required me to speak to various persons throughout BP with knowledge in the area I was working on as well as contacting and
meeting up with major suppliers from the UK, Norway and America. I was required to create a detailed report that BPs engineers could refer to for future designs. The report was incredibly in depth and I committed as much time and effort to it as I did for my dissertation or masters project.
What did you enjoy about the internship?
I enjoyed being given the responsibility to carry out a real and important task as well as working in a professional engineering environment. The support structure within BP was also a big plus as I gained a lot of help. I also enjoyed the social aspect as I was living with around 20 other BP interns and we went out regularly.
Do you think the course you are studying has helped you to work in industry?
Studying for a Masters in Civil Engineering at Strathclyde definitely prepared me for working in industry in particular the Oil & Gas industry which I was initially surprised about. I used knowledge and skills I had learned in subjects such as geotechnical engineering, water engineering and structural engineering every day and found myself to be well suited to a job in Drilling & Completions.
Would you recommend an internship?
I would definitely recommend an internship at BP or anywhere else. The experience of working in a professional environment, engineering or otherwise was invaluable. It wasn’t just the knowledge and skills to do with the discipline and job I was doing that I obtained but the skills and knowledge of working in a professional environment with other people.
What are your plans now you have graduated?
Having graduated, I am working as a Completions engineer for BP in the North Sea, having been offered a job shortly after my successful internship.