Two time former GEO intern and placement student Bradley Smith explains how his global experience has helped him secure a career in the space industry!
Name: Bradley Smith
Degree programme and graduation year: Marketing (2016)
GEO internship completed: EDI, Ahmedabad, India (2014) and Xiamen, China (2015)
Whilst studying at Newcastle University, I was fortunate enough to complete two GEO internships in India and China.
In the summer of 2014, I worked as a ‘Marketing intern’ for the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI). At EDI, I was responsible for marketing and developing handloom clusters. This positive experience motivated me to do a self-funded and self-organised 5-month placement with SPACE India in Delhi during my placement year.
In the summer of 2015, I worked as a ‘Strategy, Business Development and Market Intelligence intern’ at Linde China. Linde is a global supplier of forklift trucks and warehouse distribution systems. This gave me the great opportunity to gain experience in a niche and specialized market.
Thanks to these internships, I developed so many skills that have helped me throughout my studies and professional career. Whilst interning, for example, I gained hands-on marketing experience which I applied to my final year studying at university.
I have held three jobs since graduating which are all related to the space industry.
Job 1: For the past two years I’ve been volunteering as ‘International Chapter Coordinator and Brand Manager’ for an international space mission called Lunar Mission One. I worked within a small team to market the mission and coordinated outreach activities delivered by teams in 18 countries.
Job 2: I secured a competitive summer internship with Deimos Space UK who specialise in satellite applications and are involved in the majority of the European Space Agency (ESA) programmes. As a ‘Business Development Junior Analyst’, I helped the company commercialise a number of projects relating to satellite applications.
Job 3: I have recently joined the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory as a ‘Communications and Engagement Assistant’. The government organisation specialises in world-class space research and technology development for over 200 space missions.
Watch this space!
Newcastle University and the GEO scheme has made me more employable and has developed my professional career- for example, the heavy industry experience I gained during my GEO internship at Linde China has been vital experience needed to pursue a career in the space sector.
I would strongly recommend international experiences to anyone studying at university as they differentiate you from other candidates and help you develop as a global citizen.
See our website for more information on internships