man in blue shirt smiling

I went to Hamburg in June 2006 thru February 2007 and worked for Lufthansa Technik in their VIP Design Engineering department. I was lucky that this coincided with the Football World Cup being hosted in Germany, so past the work, there was a great social aspect to starting my co-op abroad. 

Ian shares with us how co-op was a time of great learning, practical work experience, and fun. After graduation, he returned to Hamburg where he completed his co-op and continues to live there today. 

Tell us a bit about yourself, what course did you study in UL, what has your career looked like to date?  

I’m originally from Cork and was excited to be able to have the chance to move to a new city and study Aeronautical Engineering at UL. It was great to be able to combine the academic aspects of the course with the sports, cultural and social opportunities the university offers, all combined in one campus. After completing my co-op placement in Hamburg Germany, and finishing the rest of my degree, I graduated in 2008 and returned to Hamburg to start my career in Aircraft Design Engineering.  

I am still based in Hamburg, and after founding my own Aviation Consultancy Company in 2011, have been lucky to have been involved in projects ranging from bringing Wi-Fi onboard commercial airlines throughout Europe, through Head-of-State / VIP Completion Projects and testing a wide range of aircraft. Our company has grown to 5 this year and offers services to companies across the EU focussing on aircraft and system design, production and service delivery. 

2024 marked a special milestone for the company, as we were able to start offering co-op placements for UL Students and look forward to continuing the placements in the future. 

Tell us a bit about your co-op placement, what organisation did you work with and what year it took place? 

I went to Hamburg from June 2006 through February 2007 and worked for Lufthansa Technik in their VIP Design Engineering department. I was lucky that this coincided with the Football World Cup being hosted in Germany, so past the work, there was a great social aspect to starting my co-op abroad. 

What impact did your co-op placement have on your future career? 

Simply a massive impact. The combination of the exposure to a working environment, coupled with a different country and culture, all in 9 months, shaped the person I am today, and the career I have, in addition to forming the baseline for me to found my own company later on. 

What piece of advice would you give to students going on co-op now? 

If there is an opportunity for you to perform co-op abroad, then take it. Regardless, make the most that a co-op can bring by investing in both your professional and personal development during the time. 

However, don’t forget to enjoy the time, it passes too quickly.