Sophie Coates
- Course: Railway Operations, Management and Policy MSc
- Year of graduation: 2023
- Job title: Operations Management Graduate Scheme at Network Rail
Sophie has recently graduated in 2023 from the Railway Operations, Management and Policy MSc at the Institute for Transport Studies. After studying a BA History at Manchester Metropolitan University, she realised that she no longer had an interest in becoming a history teacher and wanted to explore a career in the rail industry instead.
Sophie Coates and classmates attending a Railway Signalling and Control lecture.
Discovering the MSc ROMP at the University of Leeds, she made the decision to move back to her home city to develop her academic knowledge and experience in the new industry she wanted to be a part of.
She quickly knew she’d made the right choice. She said: “This course isn’t something that is readily offered by other universities, and it provides a great opportunity to be taught by some of the world leading academics on railway studies to provide the next generation of rail workers with the fundamental knowledge for having a successful career.”
Making connections
Alongside connecting with industry professionals, Sophie formed relationships with her peers. Being the course representative allowed her to get to know the students who were studying alongside her.
She said: “It has been a pleasure getting to know the international students over the last 12 months, and learning about their own experiences with railways in their country has been one of the most interesting parts of studying this course.”
Sophie Coates and her classmates after carrying out travel surveys on campus.
Teamwork and collaboration
Sophie relished the opportunity to collaborate in group tasks, developing her teamwork and communication skills.
She said: “I worked with people from all different backgrounds and disciplines, and I thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative process of sharing knowledge and learning from each other’s experiences in order to be able to produce an idea that was to a high standard.” These transferable skills are invaluable in any industry and will support her career.
I thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative process of sharing knowledge and learning from each other’s experiences in order to be able to produce an idea that was to a high standard.
Sophie Coates and classmates after the Metropoly trip, where ITS students travelled in teams all over West Yorkshire via bus and train in order to try and gain the most points.
Industry access
The course offered chances to meet people in the industry. Sophie said: “My favourite aspect of the course has been the opportunity to connect with people from the industry through the form of guest lecturers. These lectures really helped me to envisage myself making the same progress in the rail industry as these individuals have, and provided a snapshot of how I could potentially apply what I have learnt on this course in my future career.”
Sophie also made the most of the ITS mentoring scheme, noting that her “mentor Andrew was a key part in helping me really get everything out of the course, and opened numerous doors for me (including a visit to York ROC to have a go on the signalling simulator!).”
These lectures really helped me to envisage myself making the same progress in the rail industry as these individuals have, and provided a snapshot of how I could potentially apply what I have learnt on this course in my future career.
Sophie Coates and classmates at the Railfuture conference in Leeds.
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