Virginia Cangelosi 

Degree: 2023 MEng Electronics and Electrical Engineering, the University of Edinburgh 

Current role: Graduate Architecture Development Engineer at Arm

Why did you decide to study at the University of Edinburgh? 

For me it was both the city and the reputation of the University. On the city side, it’s Edinburgh's history and the mishmash of cultures that make the city so unique and friendly - it is quite Harry Potter-esque! Everyone always comments on how beautiful the city is and after having lived there for 5 years I have to agree. Edinburgh is like a mini-London but smaller! You're never amiss for something to do or somewhere to explore yet you can get anywhere in 30 minutes. 

The University of Edinburgh has a really good reputation - it's a Russell Group university and it's high in the rankings. This was a big decision maker for me. 

When I was in high school, I was involved in a curriculum enrichment week where I was soldering LED lights to a Christmas tree shaped PCB - I loved this and wanted to learn more. From here I decided to learn C++ with my dad and found a love for programming. Combining this with my love for maths and physics, I decided that a degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering was the perfect choice for me.

How did you get to where you are now? 

I've only been working for a year, so it's a very short journey! I looked to apply as early as possible to graduate schemes. I applied for Arm’s graduate scheme in November of my final year and by January I had an offer. It made my final year experience great - I could focus solely on studying for my exams.  

I chose the role in computer architecture development for its perfectly balanced symbiosis of hardware and software. With this role I can match the hardware knowledge gained from my degree to my passion for software. Furthermore, having chosen to work for Arm which has its HQ in Cambridge, I am surrounded by over 2000 of the country's best engineers. 

Specifically, my role is Architecture Development Engineering where I write instructions for Arm’s processors. Arm designs processors and licences out their intellectual property to customers. Working for Arm is great because you can do different rotations as part of the graduate scheme. Right now, I am making an app that translates songs from one language into another. It’s great that you can try everything! At Arm we’re able to do ½ a day’s volunteering per month so I am hoping to go into schools to showcase the app, and hopefully inspire some young students to study Engineering! So far I’ve been able to volunteer with a nearby school where I designed my own project for them to work on over 4 months. I was proud to see the students share their learnings at a poster and presentation day with their parents and teachers.  

A highlight of my budding career has been presenting a poster at a mini-conference held for the early-careers cohort of my team at Arm. I was able to connect with senior colleagues and widen the reach of my project.  

What did you gain from your time at university and were there any experiences during your time at university that particularly helped you prepare for life after graduations? 

I was able to do my industrial placement at Renesas and write my thesis alongside this, so I got hands-on experience of the working world whilst studying. The industrial placement team at the University helped me to arrange my placement and they were really supportive. Not only did I gain practical experience of the software and tools used in industry, I also gained skills that you actually need for a job. Everything I learned during this placement is what helped me get a job offer at Arm. From interview preparation to application writing – the placement was very useful for the practical skills needed to work in this field.  

I was also part of Endeavour, the rocketry society at the University of Edinburgh. We built real rockets and then launched them at various competitions around the globe. This was great – I was able to develop practical skills and learn in the process.. Over the years I was promoted to a co-lead role, so I gained experience working in and managing a team, which in corporate life is essential.  

A key skill I learned from my degree is how to program. Specifically, we studied C and MATLAB but the good thing is that programming languages are very transferable – once you learn one it’s fairly simple to pick up others. With this knowledge I am able to quickly learn how to code in any language. At Arm this has been vital, I have to code in over 5 different languages including ASL which is Arm’s own Architecture Specification Language. 

Do you have any highlights or a favourite memory of your time at university?  

It would have to be Endeavour. For one of the competitions, we went to Portugal to launch a supersonic rocket! Watching the rocket break the sound barrier was breathtaking and the payload (the part I worked on) won an award from the European Space Agency. So that was the most special moment of my studies. 

What would be your advice to future students who are considering studying engineering at the University of Edinburgh? 

Try things out! Any opportunity you see - take it - and then you'll find out whether you like programming or mechanical engineering or whatever you are interested in! Or what you’re not interested in. Take these chances.  

And, join societies or a team! Or do some volunteering. If you gain skills from these, then put them on your CV. This is what employers want to see.