Alex Ryan

I currently work in international development as a Manager of Innovation and Project Development. We work with city governments around the world to support them to innovate and implement projects that will create more equitable, safer and resilient cities.

My MSc at the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) was a key factor in being accepted onto AECOM’s graduate scheme, which, in turn, was a key factor in being given a job in international development.

I chose to study at the University of Leeds because of the reputation of ITS, some modules were with the School of Earth and Environment, and there were good career prospects

My advice to students interested in this course and a career in transport is to be innovative, look for the areas that transport can and will change in order to play a key role in developing global trends – equality, equity, climate, sustainability.

I took part in the ITS Employer visits and would absolutely recommend them. I got my graduate job through them. I would also say that it’s really interesting to look beyond the consultancies who are a part of the visits – look at some of the smaller consultants, NGOs and multilateral organisations who do not attend too.

The staff at ITS were very helpful in ensuring we had everything we need for the Employer Visits, helping us understand what we should prioritise on our CVs and applications in order to stand us in good stead to get an interview and, ultimately, job offers.

The highlight of my career so far has been the opportunity to travel to some amazing cities – Addis Ababa, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, New York, Barcelona, Paris and Thessaloniki to name a few.