Ian Wilcock - graduate profile

"When I left school I joined the Armed Forces as a Military Engineer. After seven years of service I wanted the challenge of gaining a degree, and enrolled at Plymouth to take the BEng (Hons) Civil and Coastal Engineering. The school has a great community feel. As part of my studies I did a lot of diving, which was one of the highlights of my time there. 

I was an engineer by trade, so choosing an engineering degree was a natural progression. The diving was a bonus, and I am using it in my career as a Resident Engineer on the Barbados Coast Guard Relocation Project, where we are constructing operations buildings, blockwork quay walls and rubblemound breakwater. In my career I have worked in the UK, New York and the Caribbean. In the future I hope to continue down the path of Site Supervision and am expecting to move to Mexico at the end of this current project. This is the most rewarding career, as it is project based and every day is different. The satisfaction of seeing tangible results for your efforts is priceless. I believe in investing in your career, and although it has taken me time to pay off my student loan, it is worth it. If you are considering entering higher education, go for it! Make sure you put in 100% effort to feel proud that you did your best. Going to university has turned my life around."