Overview
Aerospace engineering is one of the most competitive graduate disciplines in the UK. Companies like Airbus, BAE Systems, and Rolls-Royce receive thousands of applications for their graduate schemes, and they look for candidates who can demonstrate hands-on experience with aerospace tools and processes. CFD analysis, composite materials knowledge, and wind tunnel testing are common differentiators. A strong group design project is often the closest experience a graduate has to real aircraft design work.
This resume belongs to Amara Osei, a BEng Aerospace Engineering graduate from the University of Bristol who completed a 6 month placement at Airbus in Filton. She ran CFD simulations on 5 wing geometries using ANSYS Fluent, contributed to a drag reduction study that identified a 2.1% improvement, and authored sections of 3 technical reports submitted to the customer. Her final year group project involved the preliminary design of a blended wing body UAV, completed with a team of 8.
What Makes This Resume Work
CFD work is described with specific geometry counts and results. Saying she ran simulations on 5 wing geometries gives the reader a sense of workload and exposure. The 2.1% drag reduction is a meaningful result in aerospace, where even small aerodynamic improvements translate into significant fuel savings over an aircraft's lifetime.
Placement at a major OEM carries weight. Airbus Filton is one of the UK's most important aerospace sites. Having worked there, even for 6 months, signals that Amara has been through a rigorous selection process and has experience within a large, regulated engineering organisation.
Group design project mirrors real aerospace preliminary design. Leading the aerodynamic analysis for a blended wing body UAV, within a team of 8, demonstrates the kind of multidisciplinary collaboration that mirrors how aerospace projects actually work. The fact that the team produced a full conceptual design report shows project delivery, not just individual analysis.
Key Takeaways
Graduate aerospace engineers should quantify their simulation work with geometry counts, mesh sizes, and results. Reference the specific CFD or FEA codes used, and mention any standards or certification frameworks you encountered. RAeS membership demonstrates professional engagement, and a group design project with clear role allocation and a delivered outcome is one of the strongest sections a graduate can include.
