Meet Ben. He's 27 and lives in north Yorkshire. He's the co-founder of a company called StratoBooster. They test space launch systems. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
My favourite part of this job is when we do rocket testing - it's always fun to see a rocket go off!
What does your job involve?
StratoBooster, the company that I co-founded, runs a small space launch system. We use balloons to take small rockets (about 30 - 40 cm long) up to a high altitude and send small satellites into space.
I deal with a lot of the technical engineering, as well as the business side, such as writing applications for funding, dealing with finances and clients.
Day-to-day, I do a lot of computer software testing and analysing potential products. I use software to test the rockets in flight, looking at things like temperature and pressure. I also use another software to test which materials work best for the rockets.
What skills do you use in your job?
I use a lot of the maths skills that I learnt in school, for example, algebra, statistics and trigonometry. I use my Physics knowledge too, as well as the Design and Technology that I learnt at GCSE. Computer skills are also important.
In terms of soft skills, time management is really important – I try and break up my tasks throughout the day. I also use leadership and people management skills as I manage interns and supervise engineers. I need good organisational skills to keep in contact with so many people.
Was this a job you always knew you wanted to do?
No! My Dad was in the Royal Air Force, so I always thought I’d be in the military. For personal reasons, I couldn't do this, so I became a lifeguard. I did this job for many years, but found that it wasn't right for me.
So, I started military training with the Royal Marines, but after three months I realised that that wasn't the right fit either. I decided that I wanted to do military aircraft engineering instead. To do this I would need to go to university.
At university, I was involved in managing a student project. We wanted to enter a competition and our company has developed from that.
What was your educational career path?
I took History, Geography and Resistant Materials at GCSE. I then went to college and did a BTEC in Uniformed Public Services with the aim of joining the armed forces, but this didn't happen.
Later on, I tried Royal Marine Training, but left to go to university when I had a better idea of what I wanted to be. I did an engineering foundation year and am now in my final year studying Aerospace Engineering.
Top tips
When I left college and I didn’t get into the military, I was in and out of jobs for a while. It hasn't been an easy ride to get where I am now. Don't give up
Don’t rush into university. At 18, I never imagined that I’d be going to university – it took me until 23 to realise what I wanted to do
Networking is really important when you're setting up a business. Try not to be shy and speak to as many people as you can.
What to expect if you want to be an engineer
- How many people work in the engineering sector?
- What can you earn in different roles?
- What routes can you take to get in?
- Is the demand for engineers expected to grow in the future?
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