Masters student, Scottish Power Foundation Scholar at Iberdrola HQ in Madrid
After graduating with his BEng in Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Andrew decided to undertake a Masters degree with Universidad Comillas where he's had the opportunity to complete an internship with Iberdrola.
My alarm goes off…
I wake up at 7am and I'm on the metro at 8 to be at my desk for the internship in the Madrid headquarters of Iberdrola for 9am.
I’m responsible for…
…research in the global investments division of the company. My internship project was to compile a report and supporting documents on the opportunities in investments in the network business at a global level, with a specific focus on Asian countries. After the analysis for each individual country was completed, a report and presentation were created to deliver the information to the team.
I got the job…
…through the Scottish Power Foundation Scholarship. The master’s programme I was studying in Madrid had an internship as part of the course.
Throughout the entire application process for the scholarship, I was supported by the Electronic & Electrical Engineering Department at Strathclyde along with the careers office.
My course prepared me for the working world by…
…giving me a sense of confidence in that I was prepared to handle anything that came my way. When I came up against a piece of work in the masters or the internship that seemed overwhelming.
I just reminded myself of the times I felt like that in the undergrad, and that if I was able to get through the degree at Strathclyde then I knew I was capable of anything else that came my way.
Also, the group projects at Strathclyde instill you with the ability to build working relationships with your colleagues from day one. It’s only when you get into the office that you begin to realise just how much the labs and projects during the course prepare you for a real working environment.
My typical day….
…involved the internship in the morning from 9am – 1pm, and then classes in the evening from 5pm – 9pm.
My most memorable work moment…
…when all the scholars were invited to Zarzuela Palace for a reception and to meet the King of Spain. Another memorable moment was when I attended a global innovation event at the new Iberdrola campus where the future projects of the company were displayed, and I met the CEO of the company, Ignacio Galan.
The best part of my job…
…were the people I met during the internship and seeing the companies vision for the future.
Being inside the business and witnessing the direction that the company is taking to mitigate changes in the industry makes me excited to be a part of it in the future.
After work…
…I went to university to attend lectures. The weekends were incredible though, Madrid is a fantastic city to live in, and whilst I was there Real Madrid won the Champions League and Atletico Madrid won the Europa League so there were a few good nights out!
My plan B…
…is to still work in the energy industry. There is such a wealth of opportunity in the sector just now, from buying energy on the futures market through to the installations of smart meters in consumers' homes. I’m fortunate in that I don’t have any concerns for my future career as I know the undergrad and masters degrees have given me a solid footing into the industry.
My advice for other graduates…
…take every opportunity that comes your way and listen to the advice from the University and the academics. I would never have won the scholarship if I wasn’t a Strathclyde student and sought the help and advice I received from the department.