Mirusha Jegatheeswaran

Course studied: Computer Systems Engineering BEng (Hons)*

• Year of graduation: 2018
• Current job title: Support Engineer
• Current employer: ITV Studios
• Industry sector: Broadcasting/Media

Despite having an interest in engineering and IT, engineering wasn’t a subject I willingly chose to study at A-level. My Head of Year advised me to pursue it at university because of the lack of female employees in the sector and as one of only two females on the course, I felt so brave and am proud that I went for it.

I enjoyed all the course modules, but the knowledge I gained during my degree that’s most valuable to my current job is an understanding of engineering principles and how they are used in all workflows, and the skills I developed in networking, hardware and software are also proving to be very useful. Even though my current job role is within broadcast engineering, I’m applying the skills I learnt during my studies to both my work and my personal development, and I’ve been able to use the expertise gained from my course to help build better technology for users at ITV.

After I graduated, I took a job in retail until I could find a graduate job in IT or engineering. I then began working for the NHS as first-line support in the IT department. After a year of feeling that I was no longer progressing, I came across the role of Technology Support Engineer at the London Studios of ITV Daytime. My main reason for applying was to gain interview experience – in my head, ITV is such a big broadcasting corporation, and I didn’t think I’d be good enough to get the job. After two interviews, they called to offer me the position – I was in tears and accepted immediately.

Having worked on the four main ITV Daytime shows for three years, I relocated to Leeds for family reasons and to further my career. ITV didn’t want to see me go, so they created a role for me at their Leeds Studios, for which I’ll be forever grateful. Shortly after, I started working on the long-running serial drama, Emmerdale, within their tech team in Leeds. Leaving London was a difficult decision to make, but I’m proud of myself for making it and I’m constantly learning new things and expanding my knowledge within the TV industry. My degree and my passion for engineering, combined with my hard work and dedication, have been the main reasons for my career success to date.

Throughout my studies, I was part of the Netball Society, playing competitively for the University. I was also in the Computing Society and worked in a paid role as a Student Ambassador. I’ve played netball since the age of eight, it’s always been my therapy and I think it’s important to spend time doing the things you love – I still play for my local team now. The Computing Society was always interesting to me, as we’d discuss the future of technology and work together on mini projects, which helped me to understand the technology used in the healthcare and media industries.

Alongside my job, I’m part of Rise, a volunteering organisation which helps people from all backgrounds to understand the different roles in media and broadcast and gives them opportunities to enter the industry. ITV is one of Rise’s sponsors and I enjoy having the opportunity to socialise with new friends and continue to learn things about the sector.

I know that if I hadn’t gone for the ITV job in 2020, I wouldn’t be doing the job I do now. When I applied for the role, I had so much self-doubt, but I also had a small amount of faith that I’d be able to give it my all and impress the team. I wish I’d had this determination during the final year of my studies though, rather than waiting until I’d finished, so my main piece of advice to anyone interested in this career path would be to start looking for jobs during the last year of your degree to secure a job more quickly when you graduate.

Studying at the University of Northampton was the best three years of my life so far. I made new friends, learnt what it’s like to live with new people and continued playing netball, my favourite sport. Also, my work as a Student Ambassador meant I could help my family financially and as the eldest child in my family and the first to go to university, I started to feel like a responsible adult.

I’ve got to where I am today because of my degree and my experience at the University of Northampton, and it feels extra-special to work in an industry which is constantly evolving around new technology. My university experience is something I’ll always cherish, and I’d happily do it all again.

* This course title is no longer offered at UON. Please visit our Computer Science and Engineering course pages.