A passion for the automotive industry alongside Mathematics has helped a former student land her dream graduate job with Mercedes.
Sophia Benson, who studied Business Studies at Alton College has been offered a Finance graduate position at Mercedes after impressing bosses during her university placement year.
After leaving college in 2019, Sophia continued her studies at Bournemouth University where she applied for a placement year with Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains. The placements are notably competitive, however, Sophia successfully landed a position within the HPP Formula 1 Team in Operations, beating a large number of applicants for the position.
During her placement, Sophia then impressed managers who then offered her a graduate role which is due to start in September 2023. The role will enable her to move around in various areas including advanced technology and F1.
When asked about her favourite part of studying at Alton College, Sophia said:
“I had so much support from my teachers and was able to ask endless questions giving me the confidence to apply for university and aim for a career in an industry which is male dominant and often deemed as difficult to enter”.
“I also enjoyed being able to complete an EPQ alongside my studies allowing me to research a topic I was passionate about, for me this being cars. This has helped me greatly for my dissertation having followed the same idea, giving me the base knowledge needed to start, easing the overall process”.
When asked what advice she would give to prospective students, Sophia said:
“Use the time to ask questions and try new topic areas to discover what you are passionate about so you can build a career from there. I never would have known before studying at Alton College that I liked finance – I always liked Mathematics but had no idea this would be the path I would choose, it’s all individual preference so give yourself the time”.
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