I Got Hired: Gabriel

Posted on: 8 November 2025 by Richard Finch in Class of 2024

MEng Aerospace Engineering graduate Gabriel now works at Lockheed Martin as a Graduate Integration and Test Engineer.

How did you hear about your role?

I had experience working for smaller and medium size firms through summer placements and year internships, and I wanted to try to apply to large multinational organisations. I made a list of the top 50 defence firms working in the UK and applied to them. Lockheed Martin is a major US defence industrial, and I thought it would be really interesting to apply and work for them. I wanted experience working for a manufacturer, as I thought it would allow me to have the most varied opportunities within a graduate programme.

How did you get where you are now?

What I think helped me particularly in getting a graduate job offer was my summer placements and year in industry. I was able to leverage that experience during interviews when answering questions. University group work was also a major factor during my interviews, with the ability to demonstrate both leadership and teamwork, and focus on a particular aspect of the group project that I felt I had contributed to the most.

Your favourite experience as part of your current role?

I am currently working on a project where I get to work in an integration rig. This means that I work on the actual hardware that will be installed, and test it as the operator would be using it during their mission. It feels quite special to be testing hardware, interacting with the navy, and understanding how they operate and how best we can help them perform. 

The most challenging part of your graduate journey?

For me the most challenging part was job applications during the start of 4th year. Most of the graduate job applications need to be submitted before January, and writing CVs, going through initial virtual interview stages, and dealing with rejections was very difficult. On average, for ten job applications, I would only get through the initial screening once, and would then still have two rounds of interviews left. 

What's your #1 piece of advice for future grads?

I found the course to be easier and more satisfying in 3rd and 4th year compared to 1st and 2nd. Less modules and more group projects meant that I went from rushing assignments every week to being able to submit work that I had extensively researched and was proud of, and I found the group projects to be much more rewarding as the scope was much larger and more tangible. 

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