Colin Entwistle - BA (Hons) Business Studies, MSc Hydrography graduate

“I have so many memories from studying at Plymouth... I’ve been here over ten years now, so it’s too hard to mention just one. But those days when the sun is out, and you’ve had a blast with friends, and you think, ‘I love this place.’”

Tell us about your career path since graduation.

I originally graduated from Plymouth in 2008 with a BA (Hons) Business Studies degree, and then undertook a number of business roles such as the Lidl Graduate Scheme and working as a regional account manager for a Swedish furniture company. Now I work as an offshore surveyor for iSURVEY.

Has your career path changed since graduation?

Absolutely! After five years of working in the business sector, in a number of different roles, I yearned for something that would present a bigger challenge. I returned to Plymouth and undertook an MSc in Hydrography, to work in the offshore oil and gas industry; so in that respect my career path has changed an awful lot!

What is the most difficult thing which you have faced in your career?

So far in my career as an offshore surveyor I have found that the scope of work you can be expected to carry out can be quite daunting. The role ‘hydrographic surveyor’ is actually a very broad term and there are lots of different tasks you could be faced with under that title. This also makes it the most interesting thing I face in my career.

What is the best, most exciting or fun thing that you have done in your career?

Every single project I undertake in my career is the best, most exciting, and fun thing I have done. I could be flying into a country to meet a vessel to go out and provide support for construction projects, I could be flying in a helicopter to a rig to move it to a new location, or I could be conducting multibeam surveys for a cable lay project: every job is totally different.

What, if anything, would you do differently if you could?

I wish I had undertaken the MSc years ago. I pondered it for a while before finally taking the plunge and I haven’t looked back since. That being said, the years I spent in a business context have equipped me with additional skills that I intend on utilising throughout my career in the oil and gas industry.

What is your favourite memory of studying at Plymouth?

I have so many memories from studying at Plymouth, having done my undergraduate and postgraduate degree there, and then living in Plymouth. I’ve been here over ten years now, so it’s too hard to mention just one. But those days when the sun is out, and you’ve had a blast with friends, and you think, ‘I love this place.’

I am still in contact with my lecturers from my MSc, and I frequently visit campus to catch up with them. The friends I have made along the way, both in my undergraduate and postgraduate courses, are some of my dearest and closest friends! I feel privileged to have met so many amazing people.