Carlos Caro
- Course: MSc Transport Economics
- Year of graduation: 2017
- Nationality: Spanish
- Job title: Transport Planner
- Company: SNC-Lavalin Atkins
I am currently working as a Transport Planner for Atkins in the department of Transport Consulting & Advisory. My role is as a consultant in transport projects, mostly related to rail. I have experience working in business cases, rail franchising process, rail cost evaluations and other rail operations.
ITS has changed my career significantly. I spent 10 years looking for a job like the one I have now, and thanks to ITS I finally managed to get it. I studied two other masters before, and I wasn’t getting anywhere workwise and that changed thanks to ITS.
In my search for work, I looked for a university who had experts in transport, which was considered as a reference by transport bodies and was near my location in Manchester. I chose the MSc Transport Economics course because of my background in economics and I wanted to boost my profile in that sense.
My advice to students interested in this course and a career in transport is to make it practical, there are some choices still within the course. I would choose those that apply better for their future career goals. Because in a job interview that is going to make the difference from the rest of friends that they have in the ITS.
From the ITS Employer Days I got 6 job interviews from top companies in the UK and I was interviewed (and lately hired) by a current colleague from a process started there. That was the most practical and perfect use of an opportunity that I have ever seen.
Some of my early career highlights so far include the projects that I have worked on. I have been involved in projects that affect the life of hundred thousands of people. We have a real impact in the sector and I am part of it. I always wanted to work in the railway from a commercial side and this job is the best way that I didn’t think was even possible.
Things changed with Brexit, and I wasn’t really an international student before as I would be now. However, if you’re looking for a job in the UK, this is the best choice you could make. The effort and money invested has paid off.