Tom Cosgrove

What have you done in addition to your degree to enhance your employability and what do you feel you’ve gained from this?

Through the Erasmus Study Abroad programme I went to Munich to study and live for six months. It was simply amazing. As well as making German friends I made friends from every corner of the world. My class of 13 had Norwegians, Australians, French, Italian, Russian, Korean, Chinese, American, Dutch and Greek. 

I couldn’t have been there at a more opportune moment. A famous architect decided to take residency as a tutor in the university for one year and Germany won the world cup! My studio architect and tutor was a very famous Architect called Jacob Van Rijs, a director for one of the biggest Architecture companies in the world, MVRDV. I had an incredibly unique experience learning a different method of architecture.

I also happened to be in Germany throughout the world cup, which Germany just happened to win. I made many architecture trips around Europe as Munich is very central. Every weekend I travelled to a different country, and every weekend I experienced an entirely different architectural perspective.

Incredibly I went to Germany with no German and within six months I have reached A-level German. The networking, Language learning and Architectural experience is helped me go further and when I graduate this year I know I am a lot more employable than I was before. 

Any advice for other Queen's students?

I would advise other students to take the risk. Don’t fret if you don’t have the Language, you can learn it, and Germans learn English from 4 years old. Don’t be afraid of living away, you won’t be alone in that respect. There is more opportunity than danger and anyone can do it if I could.

8 STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR EMPLOYABILITY

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