“We had everything a student should have”, says Ana Cascais, a Materials Engineering alumna at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, who returned to the School at the invitation of the Materials Engineering Students’ Organisation (NEMAT) to share possible career paths with current students. The talk took place on 23 April at Técnico Congress Centre, as part of the Materials Science Marathon, during Técnico Career Weeks.
The Técnico alumna, who is currently in charge of maintenance and engineering training at TAP, highlights: “Materials engineering offers career opportunities in any industry, whether in consultancy, direct production or maintenance”. Elaborating on the course’s applications in aerospace maintenance, Ana Cascais explained that “everything” taught in class is now being applied and reflected in her daily duties. “When I assess alternatives for products and materials used in maintenance work, materials engineering comes into play 100%”, she emphasised.
Marta Pimenta, president of NEMAT, believes this event brings students closer to the Materials Engineering course, showcasing the job market and its various sectors. “Materials science covers ceramics, composites, polymers and metals, and there are many career paths: teaching, working in industry, or in research”, she noted. For the student, these activities open up “horizons”, both for younger students, who “are still learning what the course is about”, and for finalists, who have the opportunity to “discover areas they haven’t heard of yet”.
André Neves, Dinis Paulino and Beatriz Lalanda left the talk with a better understanding of the course they are attending. Dinis Paulino, who was attending the event for the first time, admitted that, until then, there was “a whole field of materials engineering” he had been unaware of. “I had no idea that working at TAP was an option. I found it very interesting.” Beatriz Lalanda is attending the final year of the Materials Engineering Undergraduate Programme and she believes the event helps her “think more clearly about which area to pursue after her master’s” or, at the very least, to rule out certain options. André Neves, also a student, believes that the marathon not only offers valuable insights into opportunities in Portugal but also enables students to network with industry experts who could assist them in “launching their careers at companies abroad”.
Additionally, the students had the opportunity to hear different perspectives from professionals in the field at the “Materials: Portugal vs Abroad” roundtable, participate in the “The Weakest Link” quiz and network with alumni.
