Ben Hannam BSc Geophysics, 2013

Dolphin Geophysical Future: Graduate Scheme (Project Management)

My studies and experiences at Southampton shaped my future massively as it gave me the skills employers were looking for.

I chose Geophysics as a degree because at school I was really interested in volcanoes, earthquakes and physics. Geophysics allowed me to combine all these interests into a single subject and there are a vast number of career opportunities available. I chose Southampton as it has one of the best teaching facilities for Geophysics in the world and really stood out compared to other universities I visited on Open Days. The city also really appealed to me as it has everything and has really good transport links to get back home.

A particular highlight of my degree was competing in the Imperial Barrel Award competition where I was lucky enough to go to Prague and compete against 19 other universities from across the continent and were able to finish 3rd. I also decided to become a Student Ambassador which added a lot of value to my time at Southampton as I was able to give back to the local community by informing children of all ages the benefits of going to university.

My studies and experiences at Southampton shaped my future massively as it gave me the skills employers were looking for. I was lucky to have a job confirmed before I graduated as a Processing Geophysicist at a company called Dolphin Geophysical which allowed me to travel the world! I worked as a Geophysicist Operator on board one of the latest seismic vessels. This meant I spent up to six weeks at sea in really remote areas processing seismic data collected by the vessel. This opportunity allowed me to visit Australia; see the Northern Lights and observe polar bears in the Arctic Circle. I will soon be starting a graduate scheme in Project Management; applying my transferable skills to enter a completely new industry, which I am really looking forward to.

My most important advice would be to take advantage of all the opportunities available to you as you will never have the opportunity to try so many different sports and activities in one location. A degree in Geophysics gives you many transferable skills that are applicable to many other sectors; I know many of my fellow class mates have gone into many different industries such as insurance and medicine!