Richard Ebanks

Year of Graduation: 2006

  • Course BEng Mechanical Engineering
  • School School of Engineering
  • Nationality British
  • Career industry Hydraulics
  • Current job title Sales Engineer
  • Current Company Ranger Caradoc

Like all things, if you put in the hard work you will reap the benefits, and speaking of benefits if you claim them make sure you apply for finance as ealy as you can.

I started in 2010 as a nervous mature student, that had been out of education for at least a decade. I quickly found I wasn't alone and met a whole host of other diverse students. Some stayed on campus others lived locally. I was a parent at the time and sometimes had to attend the library with my children. The University had facilities at other campuses to accommodate childcare if I needed it. As a parent and a mature student, I didn't take advantage of a work placement but I wish I did, as this is a fast route into employment if you work hard. I progressed through my degree and achieved a 2:2. My dissertation was not as good as I had hoped. My favourite memory has to be my first communications lecture. We had a great lecturer.
Before starting the course I was in telecommunications as a sales manager. I used my transferable skills to become a sales engineer. This allows me to utilise my sales and communication skills to bridge the engineering gap. So I can sell to prospective clients in a simple manner but I can also understand more technical queries.
In my previous job roles, I have had a more hands on approach to supplying solutions and meeting customer needs. I have worked in field, retail and telesales often visiting customers on-site, identifying their needs and providing solutions. My current role is more office based, I design and draw solutions for customer needs.
Field sales engineer was my favourite role. I served multimillion pound customers, designed some ground breaking solutions and made some great sales. I also had access to the staff shops too. They have some great discounts.
The University of Wolverhampton is a great university. I have nothing but great things to say about the support and guidance from the staff. I was anxious due to my time out of education and I had to do a foundation year however the support from staff and students alike was fantastic