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From toy cars to Jaguars

From toy cars to Jaguars

Prince Harry meets JLR volunteers at the Invictus Games

Alumnus Theo Amanatidis, now working with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), spoke to Tafara Makuni, co-editor of Cambridge University Engineering Society's Cambridge Engineer magazine.

As a student, working life may sometimes look like the beginning of the end of your fun and interesting years, but the biggest surprise I had joining the working world is that this is so far from the truth.

Alumnus Theo Amanatidis

Tafara: What interested you about engineering?

Theo: As I kid I had a number of toy cars and Meccano that I used to play with until I had completely taken them apart. I think between these games and liking maths and physics at school, I had the ingredients to apply for Engineering at university.

What expectations did you have of the working world whilst at university and how do they compare to reality?

As a student, working life may sometimes look like the beginning of the end of your fun and interesting years, but the biggest surprise I had joining the working world is that this is so far from the truth. There are about 280 new graduates in JLR this year and the first three months felt like a freshers’ term, although perhaps with fewer formal halls. Another expectation I had was that I will be surrounded by engineers and their associated demographics. In reality many disciplines are represented, from physics and chemistry to economics and classics in the less technical roles.

What is your typical day at JLR like?

There are no two days the same at JLR. Yesterday, for example, I got to work for 8am and started the day by going to the Lab Car suite to test the functionality of one of our new systems, then in the late morning I attended a team meeting where we discussed the strategy and future trends for some of the components we might use in future hybrid vehicle applications. After grabbing lunch with some other graduates, I went to the Climatic Chambers to assess the performance of one of our cars from -40 to +80 degrees and ended the day by doing some admin before heading home.

Are there any opportunities that have been opened up to you by JLR?

JLR is going through a major expansion right now, both in terms of international presence and people, so opportunities are plentiful. For example, at the end of each year there is an opportunity to go abroad for a couple of months. But opportunities are also available on a more day to day basis - as part of the graduate scheme I spent the most part of last week on training to improve my technical and negotiation skills, all organised and paid by JLR. Finally, there are the cars: the ability to interact with a vehicle like the new Jaguar F-Type is one of the small pleasures you can’t find elsewhere!

What else have you done during your time at JLR?

Aside from day-to-day work, JLR has many fantastic opportunities to get involved with outside work, particularly through the philanthropic ventures they support such as the Born Free Foundation or the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) networks. 

Last year I volunteered to help at the Invictus Games in London. This was a paralympic-style event for wounded servicemen and women, both serving and veteran, and ran over four days. JLR sent over 130 volunteers to help with the event - everything from directing crowds and helping competitors prepare for events, to driving VIPs and assisting the media. It was an incredible experience. Since JLR was the presenting partner of the Games, some of the volunteers also got the opportunity to meet Prince Harry during the driving challenges which took part on the test track at our facility in Gaydon.

The competitors were incredibly friendly and extremely inspirational. Unlike professional athletes, the competitors were overwhelmed by the scale of the event and many were shaking with nerves when they saw the TV crews. The competitors and their families were all extremely grateful for our support and participation in running the event and celebrating their achievements. For many of them, sport really helped their rehabilitation, both physically and mentally.

For me it was a wonderful opportunity to help our wounded heroes, as well as seeing how our company supports the local community. Although it meant four days away from home and family, it was a really life-enhancing experience, which JLR encouraged and supported us all through. I was incredibly proud and honoured to be able to represent them at the Games.

This interview first appeared in The Cambridge Engineer magazine.

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