Jean Anselm Dela Cuesta

Who Am I?

I am a 3rd year MEng General Engineering student at King’s College London. Something interesting about me is that I have played three instruments from a young age - piano, guitar, and flute, the last of which I performed with at the Royal Albert Hall as part of an orchestra.

My biggest challenge as an engineering student with Filipino parents born in London, has been a lack of engineering role models from my background. As a result, much of my engineering interest originated from exploring and learning various subjects in a wide range of fields, such as physics, electrical engineering and engineering research.

I am proud of my willingness to try new things, as many of my professional and extra-curricular life experiences have come from making the first (and often most challenging) step. In five years, I see myself working as an engineering consultant in an interdisciplinary engineering department in the transport, energy or applied technologies sector. I also see myself travelling to Asia for work or through personal means. 

What did I get out of GEEP?

I completed GEEP in July 2024 and have not regretted it! I signed up to gain insights from industry professionals and learn how to shape my engineering career to fit my interests and develop my skill sets. Through workshops, events, resources, and the mentorship programme, GEEP offered me many ways to curate my professional profile (including CVs, LinkedIn, and interviews) and discover new engineering industries/roles I may not have known.

My motivation for completing GEEP and participating in as many events as possible came from wanting to actively take control of my engineering career journey. Many resources, such as the Skills Mapper and Professional Development Plan, helped me identify areas of improvement and set ambitious and realistic goals for what I want in the engineering industry.

My favourite part of GEEP was the 1:1 mentorship sessions, as I gained insights into the design engineering industry alongside invaluable career advice from an established professional in my preferred engineering field. Learning about my mentor’s career journey equipped me with the practical knowledge to navigate challenges in the workplace.

What would I say to a student or a recent graduate who is considering joining GEEP?

Joining GEEP has shifted my perspective on what I would like to achieve in my engineering career and has aided me to confidently grasp professional engineering opportunities, such as internships and scholarships. There are numerous in-person and online events for self-reflection on your goals, new industry insights and networking that you can tailor to your interests.

Discovering areas of interest, you might not have known before GEEP is motivating; however, you can only make these discoveries by being an active participant in as many of the events on offer as possible. The programme encourages you to take charge while providing one-to-one support to maximise your personal development.

By the end of the programme, you will be prepared and excited to take your career further, with the invaluable guidance GEEP gives when going through application processes for roles in all engineering industries.

Success stories

GEEP has supported many successful graduates and has proven just how valuable it is at kickstarting engineering careers. Read about other participants were once in your position and how they've completed the programme and have gained so much from it.