Alice McGuigan
Development Engineer
Following an earlier placement at Ricardo, when I worked in various areas, I decided that I wanted to be a Development Engineer. As such, I don’t rotate , unlike people in the full graduate scheme. I chose the Chassis Department because it involves working on all chassis systems including steering, suspension, and wheels and tyres.
I have worked on such a variety of projects ranging from defence projects to supercars. The one I have been heavily involved with over the last year is a well-known commercial vehicle update. During this project, I was put in charge of managing the Wheels and Tyres section, which meant I held meetings with wheel suppliers to discuss the design for various prototype stages.
I worked on this project when I was on placement. I found that the skills and experience gained at that time, together with further knowledge acquired when I returned to university, helped me to have a really positive start when I came back to Ricardo on the Development Engineer scheme.
I was surprised how quickly and how much responsibility I was given once I was on the scheme. However, support from the Chief Engineer and other colleagues is always there if I have any questions.
The best thing about Ricardo, other than the amazing range of projects you get to work on, is the people. Everyone is willing and able to help if you have questions about anything, and we always have a laugh when there is a spare moment in our busy days. The graduates we get in each year at the Midlands Technical Centre are always very sociable and we have become a close-knit group.