Miguel Plata

I currently oversee the delivery of documentation related to planning applications such as Transport Assessments, Travel Plans, Transport Statements and Sustainable Transport Strategies. Additionally, I have also contributed to several transport modelling studies involving microsimulation and local junction modelling, as well as a few junction design schemes.

The ITS experience was key to developing my career as it allowed me to better understand the transport sector and the very broad spectrum of areas in which there is work to do. There is of course the development of technical skills such as spatial analysis, data analysis and report writing which were all consistently developed during my time at ITS.

I knew that I wanted to focus on transport as my main subject, but I did not know much of it initially. ITS was the first on the list when I began researching about academic courses in transport and I was very impressed with the wide range of courses and research strands that they offered.

I would 100% recommend the ITS, not only does it provide you with sufficient technical skills which always come in handy in the workplace, but they also strive to form a community between students and alumni which makes the experience much more pleasant. My advice would be, be curious and always ask questions, even though it is scary at first, I assure you everyone is very friendly and always willing to help you grow.

I took part in the ITS Employer Days and was lucky enough to be selected to a couple interviews and although in the end I did not get the job, due to immigration reasons, it was very interesting to experience the recruitment process firsthand. I would recommend it as it helped me prepare and be less nervous when the time came for the interview with what would become my current job. The University also provides a service at the Students Union which helps review and polish your CV and Cover Letters. Additionally, a good way to develop your relationships with professors and other research staff is to ask for feedback from them as well, they are always willing to help.

The highlight of my career so far has been that I was recently selected as part of the Transport Expert Roster for the UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions which was very exciting as I get to be involved in potential international projects to help other countries strive towards achieving their climate change goals.

My advice to ITS international students who are seeking work in the transport sector is to keep persevering, it may seem tough, and you will likely be rejected more times than anyone else but keep working on polishing your presentation and keep trying, eventually the opportunity that is right for you will come. It may be hard but it is not impossible.