Name: Chartkaroon Sukamrarn
Course: MSc IT Consultancy with an Industrial Placement
Country of Origin: Thailand
Placement: Sensible Development, Brighton, 201
‘Before I came to Kent, I’d been searching through many Master’s to find the best one which not only offers me knowledge but also real work experience in the UK, and Kent’s MSc is the best choice in my mind.’
‘As an international, it’s not easy to secure a placement scheme in the UK due to Visa regulations and the way UK companies recruit candidates. However, with helpful and cheerful advice from the computing placement office on CV and interview preparation, I finally secure my 50-week placement as a Software QA at Sensible Development in Brighton. My daily tasks are ensuring our software will meet the standards and also develop an automated testing platform which is a part of the company’s continuous integration project. Currently, I’m really happy on my placement and I therefore suggest School of Computing MSc as one of the best choice you should consider.’
Name: Yuka Wada
Course: MSc Computer Science with an Industrial Placement
Country of Origin: Japan
Placement: Sensible Development, Brighton, 2018
‘I came to Kent University to change my career from sales to software developer after working in Japan for 8 years, and now I have been working for a company in Brighton as a software developer where I did a placement. I believe placement experience opened my career in the UK.
After studying fundamental computer science and finished dissertation at the university for one year, I started my placement in Brighton. It was challenging to apply knowledge to real work and exciting to learn new things every day, which project and code are much more huge and complicated compared to the ones during coursework. My colleagues are kind and help me to work, also take care of me to get used to the company. Although many of my friends at university came back to their countries or moved to different places, some friends stay in Brighton or London and we meet sometimes after graduation.
When you come to the University, I strongly recommend you to choose a course with placement even if you are not thinking to work in the UK after graduate. Getting a placement is also tough especially for the person who does not have enough working experience for that field like me. If you can successfully get a placement, it must be your great experience and give you opportunities for your future.’
Name: Akiko
Course: MSc Advanced Computer Science (Computational Intelligence) with an Industrial Placement
Placement: Aurora, 2017
‘I did my masters in Advanced Computer Science at the University of Kent. The reason I decided to do a masters was because I wanted to make myself more employable. One of the main reasons I decided to study at University of Kent was because they were one of the few universities in the UK that offered a placement year for masters students.
The courses offered at the university are challenging. The professors and the tutors are very knowledgeable and passionate about their fields of expertise. They are always ready to help when you need them.
You will also get assigned to an academic adviser, who you will meet at the beginning of the year. They are usually there to lend you an ear, and give you advice on how to cope with your studies (or, even life in the UK).
When it came time to apply for my placement, the (School of Computing) Placement Officers were tremendously friendly and helpful. They helped me review my CV (and cover letter), find placements, and communicate with my potential employers when needed. I managed to secure a year-long placement with my current company.
I am now working with the same company that I was placed with and I have just been sponsored by them to stay for another three years. I couldn’t have done this without the university, and all the staff that helped me throughout my year with them.
Overall, I would say that I am very satisfied with the university, and I can say for sure that it was a very good decision to study at the University of Kent.’