Recent Graduates

Defence Sector Engineer – Dstl

Jonathan Williams protects the UK’s armed forces at Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). He tells us about the enjoyment of working in a hub of scientific and engineering expertise.


Did you always want to work in the defence industry?

I always knew I wanted to go into engineering, but had never thought about a career in defence. During my gap year I worked for an electronic engineering company that got me really interested in electronics and being creative with diodes and transistors etc. Whilst at university I went to a guest lecture given by Dstl and saw how wide-ranging and relevant the work in the defence industry was - I decided it was worth looking into. A job application and an interview later, here I am.

How difficult was it to get into this sector?

Apart from the interview and application process, there were no barriers for me working in the defence sector. However, if I was not a UK national my options would have been limited as most jobs require a security clearance only obtainable by UK nationals.

What was the interview process like?

The interview consisted of a series of online tests, a technical interview and a competency interview. In the technical interview I had to give a presentation on my third-year project and answer as many technical questions as possible.

The questions got harder and harder until I had to start guessing at answers, although I must have got them right as I got the job! The competency part of the interview was a series of questions where I had to demonstrate various social skills, work ethic and ingenuity.

What does Dstl do and why is it a good place to work?

Dstl provides scientific expertise to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and other government departments. In the Sensors and Countermeasures Department we design and research new technologies to identify threats and to protect people from them, such as using flares to fool a heat-seeking missile.

From an engineering point of view, Dstl is a good place to work because it probably has one of the highest concentrations of engineers and scientists in the country. There are so many scientists and engineers that the answer to your engineering problem is most likely just on the other side of the office or in the lab next door!

Job satisfaction is also very high here - it's great to have the feeling that the work you do really makes a difference and saves lives.

What do you think the benefits are of working for the government as opposed to the private sector?

The obvious benefit of working in the public sector at the moment is job security. In general the pay is less in the public sector, but the work is far more varied and enjoyable.

What does your role involve?

My role is very varied and I am currently working on several projects. My main area of work is researching into the latest radio frequency communication techniques, but because I have experience in engineering, I also get drafted into other more practical projects.

What training did you receive?

Apart from a few mandatory courses in health and safety and various security briefings, I have considerable autonomy selecting the training courses that I go on. Some of the training that I will be doing in the near future includes a course in electronic warfare and also a course in digital signal processing techniques.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What’s enjoyable about my job is the people I work with and the relaxed atmosphere. Playing football on Friday lunchtime is fun and a great way to take a break from the office.

What’s the most challenging part of the job?

The most challenging part of the job is being able to quickly adapt to different tasks and getting up to speed with different subjects as quickly as possible.

It must be exciting being at the cutting-edge of new technology

It is exciting working with cutting-edge technology, but what I find most exciting about my job is that the projects I work on have a real application and have the potential to save people’s lives.

Do you have any advice for graduates wanting to get into the defence industry?

Research the job; the defence industry is extremely broad and there are many different engineering careers. I think it’s important to get clear in your own mind why you want to work in defence and then look for jobs that will suit you.

What’s the biggest myth about working in defence?

The biggest myth is that it is all about making guns, mines and bombs. This isn’t the case. I work in the Sensors and Countermeasures Department at Dstl and the work we do is all about protecting our armed forces by identifying threats and then trying to counteract them.

What lessons have you learned since graduation?

To grab every opportunity for experience/training that you can. Be the first to offer to help and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

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