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Having a good first degree is critical for a career in engineering… but it may not be enough.
Recent graduates often find there’s a gap between what they learned in their undergraduate classes and what employers value in their industries, not only in terms of skills and knowledge but also in confidence.
Consciousness of that gap led Ravi from Tamil Nadu in India to Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where he has been adding a master’s qualification and invaluable industry experience to his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.
Ravi’s story
Monash, ranked 37th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2025, is a top-tier university for engineering, and the combination of advanced course content and real-world experience offered at Monash has helped Ravi build confidence as well as expanding his skills and knowledge.
“All the learning units in the Monash master’s course are filled with contemporary, real-world problems and projects,” Ravi explains.
“You also get to work on actual industry projects in real-time while you’re studying, which I found a really valuable way for an engineer to gain experience.”
In some of Ravi’s undergraduate student internships he had found himself dropped into the culture and workflow of an unfamiliar business and having to ‘sink or swim’.
By contrast, a project to redesign onboard refrigeration and cooling systems for Australian food truck company Tasty Fresh gave Ravi end-to-end exposure to real-world problems and commercial realities while still allowing him to draw on the resources and familiar lab and workshop environment of the university.
“Tasty Fresh sells freshly made food on-site from a fleet of more than 160 specially designed trucks,” he explains.
“They briefed us on the practical issues and challenges of advancing the cold storage systems in their ‘third generation’ trucks, which we were then able to solve through innovative engineering design.”
Ravi’s specific role in the project took him well beyond his basic mechanical engineering background. He led the development of simulations and testing of the initial design concepts, then worked on optimising specifications for the final design and prototype.
“The new design makes the refrigeration system more uniformly cold and more cost-effective,” Ravi explains.
“It was a really great experience: the management team from Tasty Fresh has years of experience operating vans, and the company has a very inclusive culture.
“Most importantly, I was treated as an engineer, not as a student.”
With both his master’s degree and his industry experience, Ravi is much more confident about looking for work in a setting where he can showcase and further develop his design and simulation skills.
“I highly recommend the master’s programme at Monash: the course covers all the modern technologies and skills required for a mechanical engineer to shine in an industry setting, and the real-world experience looks really good on your resumé when you are out searching for jobs.”
In addition to advancing his career, Ravi says his experience as an international master’s student at Monash has been very enjoyable.
“I’ve found everyone really welcoming and Monash has really opened up a world of opportunities in engineering for me as an international student.”
Monash University’s Master of Advanced Engineering is especially designed to prepare you for work in the engineering industry at the highest levels.
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Meet the international students gaining a taste of real-world engineering experience
Keshala Jayawickrama
Updated Oct 04, 2024Save
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Sponsored by Monash University
Having a good first degree is critical for a career in engineering… but it may not be enough.
Recent graduates often find there’s a gap between what they learned in their undergraduate classes and what employers value in their industries, not only in terms of skills and knowledge but also in confidence.
Consciousness of that gap led Ravi from Tamil Nadu in India to Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where he has been adding a master’s qualification and invaluable industry experience to his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.
Ravi’s story
Monash, ranked 37th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2025, is a top-tier university for engineering, and the combination of advanced course content and real-world experience offered at Monash has helped Ravi build confidence as well as expanding his skills and knowledge.
“All the learning units in the Monash master’s course are filled with contemporary, real-world problems and projects,” Ravi explains.
“You also get to work on actual industry projects in real-time while you’re studying, which I found a really valuable way for an engineer to gain experience.”
In some of Ravi’s undergraduate student internships he had found himself dropped into the culture and workflow of an unfamiliar business and having to ‘sink or swim’.
By contrast, a project to redesign onboard refrigeration and cooling systems for Australian food truck company Tasty Fresh gave Ravi end-to-end exposure to real-world problems and commercial realities while still allowing him to draw on the resources and familiar lab and workshop environment of the university.
“Tasty Fresh sells freshly made food on-site from a fleet of more than 160 specially designed trucks,” he explains.
“They briefed us on the practical issues and challenges of advancing the cold storage systems in their ‘third generation’ trucks, which we were then able to solve through innovative engineering design.”
Ravi’s specific role in the project took him well beyond his basic mechanical engineering background. He led the development of simulations and testing of the initial design concepts, then worked on optimising specifications for the final design and prototype.
“The new design makes the refrigeration system more uniformly cold and more cost-effective,” Ravi explains.
“It was a really great experience: the management team from Tasty Fresh has years of experience operating vans, and the company has a very inclusive culture.
“Most importantly, I was treated as an engineer, not as a student.”
Testimonials
Ravi’s career ambitions
With both his master’s degree and his industry experience, Ravi is much more confident about looking for work in a setting where he can showcase and further develop his design and simulation skills.
“I highly recommend the master’s programme at Monash: the course covers all the modern technologies and skills required for a mechanical engineer to shine in an industry setting, and the real-world experience looks really good on your resumé when you are out searching for jobs.”
In addition to advancing his career, Ravi says his experience as an international master’s student at Monash has been very enjoyable.
“I’ve found everyone really welcoming and Monash has really opened up a world of opportunities in engineering for me as an international student.”
Monash University’s Master of Advanced Engineering is especially designed to prepare you for work in the engineering industry at the highest levels.
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