Alumni

Felipe Patino

Career Path: Graduate Electrical Engineer, Cundall
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

I am an Electrical Engineer from the National University of Colombia, with a Masters in Renewable & Sustainable Energy Technologies from Northumbria University. I have about five years of experience as a Project Engineer, Electrical Designer and Portfolio Leader. I started my career as an Electrical Engineer, because I was very interested in energy, more specifically, in the generation and consumption. After a couple of years working as an Electrical designer, I decided I wanted to travel and study abroad to improve my English. When I finished my studies at Northumbria University, I decided to find an opportunity to stay in the UK. I worked very hard to get a Job and after one year and a half of looking, I got secured a post at Cundall. Since September 2021, I've been working here, and I don't regret it one bit.

What are you doing now?

Currently I am working as a graduate Electrical Engineer, where we design all the electrical services for different types of buildings across the UK and sometimes I help with projects from other countries too. My company is able to design a complete building, as we have all the specialities for that; building services, civil, structures, acoustics, and more specialities.

What was it about Northumbria that made you decide to study here?

I chose Northumbria because 2 main reasons; I wanted to improve my English and I wanted to Study something related with Renewable energies. Northumbria University was the best option for me in terms of location, affordability and educational quality.

What was it like studying at Northumbria?

My experience at Northumbria University was quite good in all the aspects. There were different interesting modules I learnt things I wanted to learn, and also the professors were helpful and kind. Some modules were focused mainly on theory, but others were focused in working as a team, which is important for your career. The only thing I missed from my studies was the fact we couldn't get any on-site visit to any kind of renewable system, but I am sure this can be asked to the professors during the studies.

What was the best thing about your course?

All the knowledge I learnt, not only the theory, but also the social skills that are crucial for my career. Also, the willingness of the professors to encourage the students to learn and to be curious and creative.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals/ give your career an edge?

It was a fundamental part of my career that changed my life forever. I am working at Cundall right now because of this masters degree, it helped me to improve my English also which has been very useful for my job.

Which skills/knowledge did you learn on your course that you use most now throughout your career?

Apart from the theory I learnt, I improve with my socials skills and my English, which are even more important than the theoretical knowledge sometimes.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Northumbria University?

Studying at Northumbria showed me a new lifestyle, not only because of the University, but the city itself. It was an great experience in overall.

What advice would you give somebody who is considering studying at Northumbria?

Work as hard as possible, try to get as many contacts as possible, but also enjoy your time during your studies. If you are an international student like me, try to understand how the jobs work and the timelines of the processes from the beginning. Some processes might take even one year.