Seb Gibson

Find out how studying at the University of Birmingham helped Seb achieve his career goals.
  • Seb Gibson in cricket attire with bat in hand smiling to camera

    My Graduate Story

    My name is Seb and I completed an MEng Chemical Engineering with Industrial Study.

    I currently work as a Personal Care Collaborative Manufacturing Engineering Manager at Unilever. I've worked on some of the biggest innovations, projects and global initiatives for Unilever in North America. I did an industrial placement at Unilever during my time in Birmingham, with great support from my faculty. I then joined Unilever straight from university, and did roles across the UK during Covid. My final role in the UK was working with McLaren as a project manager as part of our engineering partnership which was super cool. (I got to meet both F1 drivers at the time). I now work in manufacturing engineering where I need a working knowledge of chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering. I use a lot of the skills I learnt at Birmingham as part of my day to day role.

A Day in my Life

Completely varied and depends on the time of year. I could be on site at a manufacturer working on a production trial, leading shop floor technicians to deliver quality product. I might be working with my R&D partners on the next big project. My role also involves a lot of capacity planning, as what I do usually have large impacts on production lines. I now work in manufacturing engineering where I need a working knowledge of chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering. I use a lot of the skills I learnt at Birmingham as part of my day to day role.

 

My Journey to Unilever

I did an industrial placement at Unilever during my time in Birmingham, with great support from my faculty. I then joined Unilever straight from university, and did roles across the UK during Covid. My final role in the UK was working with McLaren as a project manager as part of our engineering partnership which was super cool. (I got to meet both F1 drivers at the time). I got my job offer at the end of doing my industrial placement, I just needed to make a 2:1 in my final year.

 

My Birmingham Experience

The critical thinking and project management skills I learnt as part of my course were invaluable. Working as part of a group translates directly to my project work now. The people. The BUCES community.

 

Birmingham's Impact

My department faculty were helpful at the time, and I had a couple of conversations about my CV.

 

My Achievements 

Got a 2:1 MEng in ChemEng and a job right out of uni.

 

Advice for Students

  • Try to find something you enjoy, it makes your job so much easier to do.
  • Network, network, network.
  • Write down answers to generic "tell me a time when" questions as this will help your interview prep.