Maximus Beaumont

MPhys Physics, 2006

Based in:

Indonesia

First job:

System Engineer at the European Space Agency.

Best advice for graduates:

Explore countries and environments beyond the UK. One of the most enriching experiences in life is exposure to different ways of thinking.

Ambitions for the future:

To become a more well-rounded, self-actualised, courageous, and loving person.

Strangest interview question:

What are your thoughts on Trump?

Best advice you've been given on jobs:

Go for it.

Founder of NUMA, Skytree, and Atlantis Space City.

Describe your current role and what attracted you to it.

As a young man, I worked in the space industry and as a kid, actively studied the topic. Today, I believe we can leapfrog legacy space infrastructure to build a permanent presence in Low Earth Orbit over the next fifteen years. I'm passionate to support that effort, as I believe the next step for humanity is to make progress in space, as well as on Earth.

What’s your favourite part of the role?

When I work on something I'm passionate about, as my own boss, it's not really work. I'm playing against myself, and when I win, I feel fulfilled, because it was due only to my own effort and no one else's. The downside is that being your own boss can be isolating.

What are the key skills you learnt at Warwick that have helped you with your career to date?

Hard work, analytical capability, and a fundamental confidence provided by earning a Master's degree in a subject that effectively describes how and why everything works - going deeper than almost all other topics outside Mathematics.

Did you have a specific career path in mind when you chose to study at Warwick?

Yes, my aim was to become an astronaut.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I get up around 4-5am, meditate, study a topic I enjoy, and do yoga, then, typically, I'll go for a morning workout. I'll get back to a working environment that allows me to be comfortable and to concentrate. I'll start working on the most important, larger tasks first, whether that's drafting a document, reaching out to stakeholders of Atlantis Space City, or developing a plan of action. I'll typically break up a long task into shorter work intervals. During the breaks, I'll sometimes take care of quick five-minute tasks, such as shooting off emails or high-level research. After four to six hours, I'll move onto a different activity, such as meeting friends, reading, or a hobby - before having an early night.

What has been your greatest career challenge to date and how did your experience and skills help overcome it?

My greatest challenge has been learning how to delegate tasks. Not doing so has held me back by leading me to focus on topics that I've not enjoyed. The confidence a Physics degree gave me, allowed me the humility to admit to myself what I didn't know and couldn't do well. Having a deep understanding of the physical world (which most people don't have) allowed me to come from a position of strength when assessing people for those complementary roles at my companies.

What should current students or recent alumni be doing to move their careers forward?

They should ask themselves what they're passionate about or what they enjoy doing, and then how they can harness that to progress society.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were applying for jobs?

With enough persistence, I can get any job I like. A rejection letter is a mere hurdle. There are also many different ways to work with a company initially. For example, you could become a contractor, work for free as a project intern, work on a commission basis, or make yourself crucial to a company through some added value or network connection you can provide.