Loren Austin
Loren Austin
Graduated in 2013
MSc in Biotechnology, Bioprocessing and Business Management
Nationality: British
First Degree: Biochemistry
First job after graduating: Graduate Scheme for Severn Trent Water
Current job (April 2019): Technical Training Manager, Severn Trent Water
The best thing about the MSc is gaining a ‘big picture’ view of Biotechnology and Bioprocessing. This opened up a whole new world of ideas and career opportunities that I had never thought about before. The way the lectures are taught mean that you get to meet people who work in industry and can give you a real insight into the work they do.
I currently work for Severn Trent as a Technical Training Manager. I manage a team of Technical Trainers who teach employees the skills required to detect and repair leaks on the Water Distribution Network. I initially joined Severn Trent on the graduate scheme after completing my Master's and have had several jobs from Operational Management to Business Planning and Recruitment. The MSc helped me to gain these jobs by introducing me to the Water industry as I did not realise the opportunities and the amount of science that is involved in treating clean and dirty water. Secondly the group work enabled me to answer the situational questions that are present in most job applications by acting as examples of when I have worked in and led teams.
Doing the MSc in Biotechnology, Bioprocessing and Business Management is a great opportunity but to get the most out of it you need to be dedicated and prepared to work hard. My final year at Warwick has been one of the best times of my life and I would recommend it to everybody!