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Chemical Engineering Career Pathways: Top tips from Alumni
22 November 2021
On Wednesday 17 November, we had the privilege of meeting with six UCL Chemical Engineering alumni with a range of expert industry and academic sector knowledge.
The following alumni joined the session to share their experiences with students:
- Giovanna Fiandaca (UCL PhD Chemical Engineering 2010) NLNG Process Engineering Lead - Asset Focal Point at Shell
- David Ayeni (UCL MEng Chemical Engineering 2007) Global Director, Business Development @ Digital Construction Works
- Fabian Byléhn (UCL MEng Chemical Engineering 2018) PhD Candidate in Molecular Engineering at University of Chicago
- Dina Ibrahim (UCL MSc Chemical Process Engineering 2014 & UCL Research Degree 2018) Junior Associate at McKinsey & Company
- Jaymish Patel (UCL MSc Chemical Process Engineering 2016) MD of Biofuel Evolution | R&D at BioQuest Alliance
- Jessica Guzzetta-King (UCL MEng Chemical with Biochemical Engineering 2008) Consultant Safety Engineer at Genesis Energies
Catch up on the full interview on our YouTube
Here are some of their top tips to help you advance your own personal and professional development.
Career Choices
“It’s always good to begin with a why and how! Always have something to wow you, something you gravitate towards.” - Jaymish Patel
“Stay hungry to learn.... Ask questions... be curious!” - David Ayeni
Top Tips:
- Experimentation is important to build knowledge and skills
- Get involved in as many things as possible.
- Reflect on your experiences to date.
- Consider your skills and interests, where can those skills help you in unique ways to stand out.
- Never say no to new experiences.
Building Connections and Developing Workplace Skills
“Get a mentor. It’s valuable to connect with role models that can advise you.” - David Ayeni
“Skills gained during your degree are very relevant: resilience, sticking through projects when experiments aren’t going to plan; science communication, communicating your science to different levels of audience; teamwork experience, communicating between different people; leadership experience... there's a lot of these soft skills that really help you stand out!” - Fabian Byléhn
Top tips:
- Pick up the phone. Reach out to friends, mentors, advisors and ask them to read your CV. Others can help you to display the best of yourself.
- Research projects are relevant to your future in terms of the skills you will also need in industry.
- Gain leadership experience during your studies, this can help you stand out.
- Good communication skills are key! You will often need to explain complex problems.
- Teamwork is very important– be conscious of how you come across.
Career Development
“Follow your passions but also have a plan B – sometimes you end up in a role that is unexpected but incredibly fruitful.” - Jessica Guzzetta-King
Top tips:
- People don’t stay in one job; you will have career changes. Seek advice from your network.
- Changes in markets can cause unexpected difficulties, you may end up on a different path but your skills are transferable.
- Take life and jobs as they come and continue to develop throughout your career.
- Don’t chase the money, chase your passion!
Applications and Interviews
“Don’t decide if you are good enough for a job or not. Let the company make that decision. Put yourself out there and don’t pull yourself out of potential opportunities.” - Dina Ibrahim
"When job hunting, don’t let the situation discourage you – it will happen.” - Giovanna Fiandaca
Top tips:
- Be resilient, don’t get disheartened by the application process.
- Don’t be too shy to put yourself out there. Be upfront, have self-confidence – we all have our own unique path.
- Don’t lie on your CV, they will ask!
- Practise, find questions online and utilise your networks to have mock interviews so you feel more comfortable.
- Recruiters are looking for someone who is a good fit for the company. They need good team members so utilise your personal skills as well.
- Don’t be nervous in interviews - you are an asset!
- Recruiters will look at the person you are and the role you can play in that industry.
Getting Ahead in an Entrepreneurial Career
“Embrace diversity and stand out – you can bring different personality traits and skills sets”. - Jaymish Patel
Top tips:
- Make the most out of every contact and every interaction.
- Learn from your course how to communicate and solve problems – this is integral in the workplace.
- Embrace rejection and be persistent! It is part of an entrepreneurial career.