Ashraff
MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering with Process Systems Engineering
I was born in Iraq, but my family moved to Yemen when I was one. When I was 18, I moved to Malaysia to study my undergraduate degree in biotechnology and biochemical engineering.
After I graduated, there was a global recession so it was difficult to get a job. As a result, I studied a Master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering in Malaysia, and then after that I worked as an academic researcher. I moved to the UK in 2019 and applied to Imperial College London in October 2020 to do the MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering with Process Systems Engineering course.
Choosing a Master’s
I applied for the Master’s at Imperial because I wanted to update my knowledge and my engineering background. I wanted to have a degree that would boost my CV and help me in the job market. And that’s exactly what Imperial did for me.
It helps that Imperial is based in London, one of the most active cities in the world, there’s so many opportunities for networking. Whatever it is you’re looking for is here – you’ve just got to find it!
Getting support at Imperial
I’ve had support from the wellbeing officer at Imperial for my neurodiversity. They helped me a lot, by providing an assessment and putting support in place for me. I have trouble focusing on tasks, which means exams and assessments are particularly hard for me – through the wellbeing support I was given an extra 25% of time in exams. I was also given the disability allowance, which was quite a straightforward application process.
After graduation
When I finished my Master’s, I landed a role at KPMG. It was a bit of a transition from engineering to auditing and financial services that KPMG offers, but I’ve really enjoyed it and have had lots of opportunities to learn and expand my network.
It took a while to get a job after graduation – a lot of people sort out graduate jobs pretty much as soon as their Master’s starts, but I wasn’t aware of this and so spent a while after graduation applying. I got a fair amount of rejection letters, which can feel demotivating. But it’s important to live in the present and try to make the best of the situation you’re in.
I used the Careers Service while I was at Imperial to help improve my CV and cover letter, and when I got the interview with KPMG I did a mock interview with a Careers Consultant. This helped me tremendously when preparing for the actual interview as it gave me confidence.
Advice for current students
My advice to students is to not overthink it. Don’t get overcome by imposter syndrome, you’ve earned your place to be here. Focus on giving quality effort and enjoy yourself.
I definitely had a string of bad luck when applying for jobs, there was the 2008 recession and the 2012 hit of gas and oil prices. But these experiences actually helped give me a fresh perspective on life – you can either treat yourself as the centre of the universe, wondering why everything bad is happening to you – which isn’t going to get you anywhere. Or, you can try to focus on the positives, try to improve yourself and look for new opportunities.
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