October Newsletter

Having difficulty viewing this email? View online.    Shift your career into gear this month University is back in full swing, and so is IMechE, with many exciting new initiatives to kickstart your academic year.  In this month’s newsletter, we’ll show you how to survive dissertations and project reports. We’ll also revisit the recent members’ trip to RAF Valley in Anglesey, talk about a controversial new way to extract natural gas and hear from Muhammad Abdool Carrim, an IMechE member who has completed an industrial placement and an MSc degree.          IMechE Member Profile Muhammad Abdool Carrim, Imperial College MSc Graduate What did you do on your industrial placement? I worked at Mobrey Ltd carrying out tests on the level sensors manufactured by the company. I worked closely with different departments such as Production, R&D, Quality, Sales, Marketing which helped to increase my communication skills as well. Would you recommend doing an industrial placement? Definitely. This has been the best experience throughout my university studies. It confirmed the reasons why I chose to study an engineering course. I enjoyed every minute of it, met people from different backgrounds, and learnt a great deal in terms of practical hands-on engineering. What did you study at university? I chose to do an MSc in Advanced Computational Methods for Aeronautics, Flow Management and Fluid-Structure Interaction at Imperial College London, and it really built upon my pre-existing knowledge base. How has your IMechE membership helped your career so far? I took up the Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS) from IMechE for my industrial placement, and I am hoping to carry this on when I find a new job now that I’ve completed my Masters degree. I definitely want to become a Chartered Engineer through IMechE.       Surviving dissertations and project reports As an engineering student, it’s likely that you will need to complete a dissertation or project report at some stage in your academic career. At IMechE, we have the tools to help you produce an outstanding piece of work.  Just visit our website to find specific pages dedicated to helping you succeed. With our simple tips on choosing a topic, researching and then writing your dissertation or report, you can stay ahead of the curve.  And don’t forget to check out the IMechE virtual library for your research needs.  You’ll end up with a piece of work you can be proud of and still have the energy to celebrate afterwards! Flying isn’t just for birds IMechE members in North Wales paid a visit to RAF Valleylast month, the jet training base for RAF and Royal Navy pilots. The excellent technical visit included a detailed engineering overview of both generations of the Hawk aircraft. This covered aspects such as service reliability and maintenance regimes, as well as examples of past service failures.  Participants were shocked to learn that the single largest cause of aircraft damage on the station is from bird strikes!  The station tour concluded with a visit to the Flight Line where the group experienced a Hawk returning from a sortie, a pilot debriefing and the plane being checked over and refuelled. IMechE hosts events like this all year round. Find out what’s happening in your local area. New jobs...or new problems?  An energy firm drilling for gas in Lancashire has found vast reserves of up to 20 trillion cubic feet under the county. While extracting the gas could create 5,600 jobs in the UK, campaigners have warned that investing in this fossil fuel could draw investment away from the UK's renewable industry. There are also arguments that the “fracking” extraction process produces harmful carbon emissions and health risks for local residents, while small earthquakes in the area earlier this year were linked to the same procedure. IMechE members suggest that a full risk analysis needs to be undertaken to determine if extracting the gas is the right decision for the UK. For now, however, the topic remains up for debate. Let us know what you think on our Facebook page!         Come visit the IMechE stand at the UK’s largestprofessional engineering and construction recruitment event at the NEC, Birmingham on 25 & 26 November 2011. Student website Check out our student related content and services. Just for you. Get professionally registered This proves to future employers that you are a qualified professional engineer. Remember your membership number?  Your access to our member-only areas - update your profile now.     You're receiving this email because you are a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and have opted-in to emails when registering. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can update your email preferences.     ©2011 Institution of Mechanical Engineers www.imeche.org. UK registered charity number 206882. 1 Birdcage Walk London SW1H 9JJ United Kingdom | Telephone +44 20 7222 7899 | Email enquiries@imeche.org.