Seb Gibson
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.