I Got Hired: Yousef

Posted on: 5 July 2026 by Richard Finch in Class of 2025

Yousef is now working as Graduate Civil Engineer at AECOM, applying the skills and confidence developed through their University of Liverpool experience.

Yousef Morsy is a Civil Engineering graduate from the Class of 2025. Their graduate journey highlights the value of persistence, curiosity and learning through real professional challenges.

What first caught your attention about this role, and what made you think, “This is for me”?

What really drew me to the role was the opportunity to be part of projects that have a visible impact, while still being early enough in my career to learn quickly and take on responsibility. When I first saw the role, it felt like the right balance between developing technically and getting stuck into real project work. Having studied civil engineering, I always enjoyed the more practical side of the subject, so the chance to work on real schemes and see how designs translate onto site really appealed to me. It felt like a natural next step from university and something I could genuinely see myself growing into.

Which experience along your journey has had the biggest impact on who you are professionally today?

The biggest impact has definitely been the transition from university into working at AECOM over the past year. Moving from a more structured academic environment into live projects has completely changed how I approach engineering. At university, the focus is often on getting the right answer, but in practice I’ve learned that it’s just as important to think about buildability, coordination with other disciplines, and how decisions affect the wider project. Being involved in real work and seeing how everything connects has helped me become more practical in my thinking. It has also pushed me to be more confident in communicating and taking ownership of tasks, which has been a big step in shaping how I see myself professionally.

What’s been the toughest part of your graduate journey - and what did it teach you?

The toughest part has been adjusting to the pace and expectations of working on real projects, especially early on. There’s a lot to take in - new systems, new people, and often situations where there isn’t a clear “right answer.” At the start, that uncertainty was challenging, but over time it’s helped me become more comfortable asking questions, managing my workload, and trusting my judgement. I’ve learned that you don’t need to know everything straight away what matters is being willing to learn, take feedback on board, and keep improving. Looking back, that initial challenge has probably been the most valuable part of the journey so far.

If you could give future grads one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to know everything from the start no one expects that. What matters more is your attitude: be curious, ask questions, and take every opportunity to learn from the people around you. Looking back, some of the biggest steps in my development came from simply getting involved, even when I wasn’t fully confident at the time. The more you put yourself out there, the quicker you learn. University gives you the foundation, but real growth happens when you start applying it so stay open, be proactive, and trust that you’ll figure things out as you go.

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