Stephan Gehne

Placement Position: SRK Perth – Mining Consultant Intern

(Profile courtesy of the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth)

How did you obtain your placement and what help did you receive from the University?

I got my placement the normal way and with a little bit of luck. The contact at the company was distributed amongst the students by the course manager. 

I applied for it, which was followed by a 45 minute telephone interview with a principal geotechnical engineer and a HR representative. And luckily, they choose me. 

Can you describe your current job and the types of role that you fulfill?

As an intern, I am assisting professional engineers on various projects. During my placement I carry out different types of analyses, e.g. kinematic, numerical and empirical, but also get involved in field programs and get experience on site, e.g. in logging.

What do you feel you will gain from the Placement year?

I am getting a lot of experience, and the most important thing is that through the placement I realise why I need the skills learned at university. That increases my motivation to learn more at university and helps me to link certain topics together and see the bigger picture. 

Additionally, I am learning skills beyond the scope of the University, which puts me in a very good position for the final year.

What would your advice be to anyone thinking of studying at University?

Get your head down in the books and work hard at University. Everything will pay back in a huge scale. But also enjoy the Uni-life and make friends.