Joe MacDougall

Profile

Joe MacDougall, one of our final-year MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering students, is getting ready to start his exciting career journey, embarking on a four-year graduate scheme at INEOS.

From taking part in interesting extracurricular activities to getting advice from a supportive careers network, find out how Joe secured this unique opportunity below.

What made you want to study at Heriot-Watt?

I decided to study at Heriot-Watt University because I was impressed by the facilities they had, particularly the GRID building. I also liked the idea of being able to take part in societies such as HWRacing, which I eventually did, as well as AeroWatt.

Can you describe a typical day in your programme?

A typical day in my programme involved theoretical and practical working, including lectures and tutorials, as well as solo and group projects. The MEng programme in Electrical and Electronic Engineering also allowed for a six-month industry placement, which made this course particularly valuable in preparing for a career in industry.

What extra-curricular activities have you gotten involved with?

I got involved with HWRacing in my fourth year, where I worked with both the Powertrain and Electrical Systems team to get the formula student car ready for competition. This also formed part of my fourth-year group project.

Did you get any careers or employability support during your time at Heriot-Watt?

I was made aware of the UK Electronic Skills Foundation scholarship scheme in my third year, although you can join earlier, by EECE Professor Keith Brown. This scheme offers any student studying EEE, Robotics, Software Engineering, Computer Science or Physics, access to a bursary and internship opportunities.

I made it onto this scheme and was sponsored by STMicroelectronics, who provided me with three internships totalling 12 months industry experience, which gave me the experience and confidence to take on any role.

I have also been in contact with Keith Kilgore, the Careers Advisor for engineering, who helped me weigh up the pros and cons of two graduate job offers I had received, which is a good problem to have. I also got a lot of support from other professors in EECE and my personal tutor. Heriot-Watt's student wellbeing service is also top-notch and helped me with career planning.

What are you planning to do after you graduate?

I will be changing industry for my graduate position, moving from electronics design to electrical control and instrumentation with INEOS O&P at their site in Grangemouth. This four-year graduate scheme starts in September and will most likely result in me completing it as a Chartered Engineer with CEng certification.