How to Launch a Career at the National Space Centre
- 15th May 2024
- Author: Elliott Langley - Marketing Administrator
One of the reasons the National Space Centre exists is to help people with an interest in STEM to find their way into a career. It turns out that this is as true for our own staff as it is our visitors and the schools that we work with. Over the years, many of our staff have gone on to progress within the National Space Centre and find a career path, including yours truly!
I had the chance to talk with Cameron, who has worked part-time at the National Space Centre on Space Crew since 2018 whilst completing his Undergraduate and Masters degrees. As is so often the case when applying for positions within his chosen field of Computing, a lack of hands-on experience was proving to be an obstacle in securing his dream job.
But when our management team caught wind of this, a plan was hatched to help Cameron gain the experience he was lacking whilst using his expertise to help the National Space Centre. I was excited to talk to him about his time completing work experience with our IT department, and how the opportunity has resulted in his career blasting off!
Thanks for chatting with me Cameron. So how has this opportunity come about?
It’s a long story! I worked on getting my undergrad BSc (Hons) degree in Computing whilst working part-time on Space Crew. I knew I would need to get some work experience under my belt before going into a full-time job. But it was right around the start of the pandemic when I finished my course, so that threw a spanner in the works. Hardly any work experience positions were available whilst everything was so uncertain, so I decided to use the time to gain a master’s in Data Analytics with Banking and Finance.
The problem was that I still didn’t have any work experience. I applied for so many jobs whilst sticking with Space Crew part-time, but the response was always the same: I was lacking experience.
I can imagine that was very frustrating.
Yeah, it’s a very common story that you hear all the time, but it’s still disheartening. It was strange, because for some roles I was overqualified in an academic sense, but at the same time I was underqualified in terms of experience. I’d say I still have probably around 100 rejection emails in my inbox from that time.
It was around this time that Cameron decided to talk the management team here at the National Space Centre about his background in working with data. He had always had a good relationship with the Technical team and had spoken to their IT department about their proficiencies. Cameron sent his CV to Jamie, our Head of IT and Technical Services, who in turn raised Cameron’s interest in work experience to our Estate Director, Neil.
“Jamie brought Cameron’s situation to my attention and asked if there was any way we could offer him an opportunity to fill in some gaps in his CV,” said Neil. “I thought it was a great idea. Knowing that Cameron has expertise in Data Analysis, I thought it made perfect sense for him to apply those skills in a way that will benefit the Charity whilst also enhancing his prospects.”
Neil continued: “We spent some time working out what the question Cameron and I were asking, which ultimately was ‘how do we use our data to make better decisions’. That’s what data analysis is, asking questions to help us improve. So Cameron has been collaborating with both our Marketing and Venue teams to write a report looking at the work we do and what it can tell us.”
How’s it been going so far Cameron?
It’s been great. I spent 2 weeks shadowing the IT team and helping with their daily tasks, and now I’ve moved on to working with Neil and focusing on business analysis. At the moment I’m focusing on getting a data visualisation software called Microsoft Power BI integrated into the Centre so we can use that.
And are you enjoying it?
Genuinely, you have no idea. I love it! The whole team have been amazing. I’ve worked with so many different teams around the Centre and have learned so much about what happens behind-the-scenes here.
Have there been any highlights so far?
I’m really enjoying the one-to-ones and helping other team members with any queries or issues they’re experiencing. It’s nice to be able to solve problems. Also, going into more depth, working with the server and network for the Centre has been really interesting. Carrying out the onboarding for new tech is really intuitive. I’ve actually just started a course which is all about the software we use to bring new assets and systems in.
Have you picked up any new skills?
So many. Even little things that you wouldn’t expect. You never really get taught little things like how to dress professionally for the office, for example.
[Looking at current attire] I have to agree with you there…
The whole team have been amazing. The 2 weeks I spent shadowing the IT team meant I got to problem solve as things came up, like updating the software the computers use downstairs and helping with IT issues in the offices. It’s really helped me gain confidence in a professional setting.
I bet the team have enjoyed having an extra pair of hands.
I think they have; it’s definitely sped up the process a bit. We’ve been able to focus on making changes that have needed implementing. Like, for example, the Boosters cafe having a new system added for them to put dates on the food packaging. It’s a small thing but it needs doing and I think having me there has made it possible to clear jobs faster.
Have you had any surprises or any curveballs?
Well, it’s been a few years since I did my Undergraduate degree, so I had to dust off the cobwebs a bit and relearning some of the skills I haven’t used for a while. It’s not been too difficult though, it’s all still in there. There’s been lots of moments where I’ve paused and gone “oh, I actually know that!”.
What’s on the horizon?
Well, the big news is that I’ve actually just had confirmation that I’ve secured a job as a Technical Support Engineer.
Brilliant! Congratulations Cameron!
Thank you! The interview went really well. I told them all about the amazing things I’ve been doing at here at the Centre and how incredible the team have been. Particularly the work I’ve been doing with Power Bi, there was a lot of interest in that. So I was feeling good about the interview and I got the call to say I got the job. The whole team gave me a huge congratulations and it honestly felt amazing. I couldn’t have done it without the team here supporting me.
You’ll be missed, for sure.
It will be hard to leave, definitely. It was looking possible that I might end up staying on at the Centre as a Data Analyst at one point; we were carrying out a feasibility study for the role to see whether there was scope for the role to be created. But I think the report I’ve worked on and the things we’ve achieved over this period is a good starting point. Perhaps in the future someone can continue the work Neil and I have been doing.
It's great to hear that things have worked out.
Yeah, I’m over the moon… no pun intended! Honestly I’m so grateful to Neil and the team. I really think the National Space Centre is great at identifying people’s skills and helping them find their way into positions where they’re going to thrive. I don’t think many other places would offer this type of thing to offer work experience with other departments. Before the job offer came in, I was going to do 2 weeks with our Finance team after finishing the data analysis with Neil. They were really up for it and welcomed me in. I don’t think you would get that everywhere.
Just before we finish, do you have any words of wisdom or advice for people who might be in a similar situation?
One of my favourite quotes is “the greatest lie you’re ever told is that it’s not that easy”, because it is. Whatever you want to do in life, there is always a way and there are always steps that you can take to get there. I wanted to be a Data Analyst and I applied for every job with the word “analyst” in the title and I was getting nowhere. So I changed my approach and the team here helped and I got a job at the end of it. So sometimes you just need to look at things from a different angle and change your perspective.
Not to go off on a tangent, but I was told I’d probably never get to go to university when I was at school, because of my dyslexia. But I knew that it was what I wanted to do, so I did everything that I could. I got an NVQ in Level 2 Business directly after my GSCEs then went to college and got my Level 3, and I did end up going to university. So you just have to persevere, and if you want to do something then stick at it and you’ll get to where you want to be.
Neil was delighted when Cameron broke the news that he had landed a full-time position for himself. “It’s been a great experience, Cameron’s an intelligent and chatty lad,” Neil said. “One of my greatest pleasures as a manager is seeing people progress in their careers and find their way. Obviously we would love for that to always be within the National Space Centre but it’s great to see our team take off and flourish in new roles. We take a lot of pride in that.”
Huge thanks to Cameron and Neil for taking the time to talk to me – we wish Cameron every success with his new role!
