How were you involved with the Formula Student competition?
I was head of Media at Birmingham City University’s BCU Racing in 2017-18. BCU Racing entered one car – a formula-style racer with an internal combustion engine and a riveted, ribbed aluminium chassis.
What made you join the competition?
My husband! He’s a mature student studying automotive engineering and he was keen to join – he convinced me to go along to the first session because “it might be fun.” They mentioned they were looking to fill a media team and I signed up on the spot!
What was your first full time role post-grad (including apprenticeships)?
After graduating from my undergrad degree in 2016 I worked in retail, moving up to management level. Since the FS competition in 2018, I’ve been working on finishing my Masters degree, still using my retail management experience to see me through but looking to move into social and digital marketing.
How did your experiences at Formula Student help you develop?
I gained a lot of marketing, media liaison and general PR experience through contacting local companies, news outlets and other major organisations to promote the team. I also sharpened some other skills; juggling content creation, constant communication with faculty and third parties, a social media schedule and analytics monitoring definitely took some organisation!
I learned a lot about myself – what I’m capable of and what I enjoy, and I definitely learned my limits in terms of how many plates I can juggle before some start to smash!
The experience has been incredible – without it, I’d never have published articles and photographs, I wouldn’t have marketing experience, and I’d have no idea of the kinds of things involved in business and cost reports. Whilst these things may not directly impact my job role as it stands, all of the skills I’ve gained and sharpened have been absolutely priceless.
What was your biggest challenge during FS and how did you overcome it?
We were behind schedule from the start, in terms of design, so everything that followed started late. By the time the competition came around, we were still rushing to build our vehicle. There were some miscommunications when it came to placing and paying for orders, so we didn’t have materials until very late in the game. Tensions were definitely high, and we were all getting in everyone else’s way and in each other’s pockets, but ultimately we were saved by having one shared goal: to build a car and pass the scrutineering tests. We just had to remain positive, not get caught up in the stress, and look ahead to the finish line.
What is your fondest moment of the competition?
Hearing our engine start and watching the car roll under its own power is definitely the one memory that stands out for me. Until then, nothing we’d done felt real, especially as I hadn’t really been a part of the physical car-building. That’s the moment it hit me that we’d really built an actual car, that it was really working, and that all of the late nights, early mornings, days spent in windowless computer labs had been worth it – because we’d succeeded.
Why should non-engineers still consider joining the event?
There’s something for everyone at FS. Every team needs someone to document what’s going on – through video, pictures, Snapchat stories and more. Every team needs a shrewd mind to pull that business report together whilst the engineers get their hands dirty in the workshops. Every team needs a cheerleader, someone to supply snacks and fetch tools and hold things in place, and someone to keep everyone on track. And at the end of it all, you get to go camping with your team (who you probably equally love and hate like siblings by this point), meet some really cool international friends, race against the world – and live like you’re at a week-long festival. What could be better?!
Please can you provide a recommendation for anyone thinking of taking part in the competition!
If you’re on the fence – just go for it! There’ll be something you can do to help out, no matter what your experience or skillset is. I’m not a (traditional) engineer and I know absolutely nothing about engines, but having seen the team through a competition season, I can honestly say that joining was one of the best decisions of my life.
Thanks so much to Sammie for her time, answers and photos – check out her online portfolio for more of her excellent work!