New Grad Spotlight: Graham Bell (BEng/24)

Graham Bell is a computer engineer and maker. During his time as an engineering student at Carleton, Graham won Carleton’s Engineering Project Competition with his third-year computer engineering project: BeeHive Automated Monitoring System. In his final year on campus, his fourth-year capstone project was awarded the Carleton University Computer Engineering Prof’s Choice Capstone. Graham’s talents were recognized and celebrated upon graduation through his full-time employment with a local robotics and advanced engineering and manufacturing firm in Ottawa. We caught up with Graham to chat about his first year in the workforce, what he learned during his time on campus, and advice he has for other new alumni.

Hey Graham! You just graduated this past spring from Carleton’s Bachelor of Systems and Computer Engineering program. How was your time in the program and how did it prepare you for real-world challenges in the workplace?

My engineering program provided me with a sound theoretical foundation and taught me to be detail-oriented and to leverage existing research. I got to do a little bit of everything: software, hardware, networking, and design. I was drawn to the world it opened for me.

In my short career to date, I am proud to be doing real, hands-on engineering every day. I recently produced a complex client product that had to go for UL – a global safety science company that sets standards for product safety and emissions certification – and it passed, making it ready for production.

What does your day-to-day look like at your new full-time job?

My day-to-day work is really fun! I work at a local innovation company that does research and development on a broad range of technologies. The company manufactures advanced electronics and devices for broadcasting, commercial drones, and military-grade robotics. On any given day, I may be working on a tech that enables sports broadcasters to illustrate on-screen in real time, designing commercial drones for a variety of applications, or working on a robot that will conduct search and rescue operations in hazardous environments.

I also frequently bring my dog to work to socialize with some of my colleagues’ dogs and keep morale high in the company. It’s a cool company that pushes the boundaries of innovation and also pushes the boundaries of traditional office culture.

What skills from your degree do you find most useful in your current position?

Reseach and problem-solving skills are the skills I use most. In my line of work, I work with a broad range of clients, projects, and technologies. Having a structured way to conduct research, gather information, and make design decisions based on evidence is imperative.

What advice would you give to other recent Carleton grads who are looking to find their ideal career path?

Follow your passion. I’ve always been curious and looking for new ideas and opportunities. The path to my current job started in elementary school bringing home electronics to fix that I found on garbage day. Then in high school, I joined a tech club by accident. I had great teachers and mentors who encouraged my innovative spirit, so I followed it.

I also put in a lot of hard work and never expected anything to come easy. I taught myself skills like how to read schematics, and how to solder, weld and fabricate. I am constantly seeking new knowledge and new skills. University provides you with education and fundamentals, but you need to actively seek out ways to apply those fundamentals in pursuit of your passion.