Case Study
Alumni
We spoke with two Dyson Institute alumni, Theo Jones and Katherine Magowan to learn about how their experience at the Dyson Institute set them up to succeed in Dyson’s global business, and how they played a role in launching some of Dyson’s newest technology to international markets.
Theo Jones: NPI Design Engineer in Seoul & Tokyo
Graduating from the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology, Theo has embarked on an accelerated career journey now working as an NPI Design Engineer. Within a year of completing his BEng, Theo was representing Dyson in South Korea, playing a pivotal role in launching products in Seoul. His position required showcasing Dyson's latest technology, and successfully applied the skills he had developed during his time at the Institute to navigate these substantial global opportunities.
Throughout his four years at the Dyson Institute, Theo actively engaged with the broader Dyson Institute and Dyson community.
“What did you get up to at the Institute to set you up post graduation?”
“Throughout my 4 years, I was constantly engaging in the wider Institute & Dyson community by creating clubs & running as a student representative, which became an excellent platform to develop my public speaking and presentation skills. In work too, I found I was gradually taking on more and more responsibility, and bigger and bigger projects, until in my final year, I was presenting my work to James Dyson.”
Before the product launches in South Korea, Theo dedicated six months to gaining an in-depth understanding of the market and preparing for presentations to large audiences. Despite the challenges of presenting to lots of people Theo developed a passion for it, finding excitement in sharing new products with an audience witnessing them for the first time.
"What’s it like to launch a product to the world?"
“Presenting to a room of 100 people isn’t for everyone, but experiences over my years at the Institute mean that I’ve grown to love it. There’s a real excitement when, after so long in development, you finally get to share a new product with people who are seeing it for the first time.”
The seamless integration between Theo's study and work experiences allowed him to not only develop essential skills but also to discern his preferences within the job. The gradual progression of responsibilities provided a less daunting transition into the workplace, leaving him better prepared for the challenges ahead.
Reflecting on his journey, Theo highlighted how these opportunities along the way helped him discover his enjoyment for presenting and his appetite for challenges. After graduation the Institute ensures there’s a seamless transition to the next step in everyone’s Dyson career, with individual, accelerated progression opportunities.
“How did you work out what to do post-graduation?"
“These opportunities along the way were what led me to find my enjoyment for presenting and appetite for challenge, so naturally, after graduating I sought out a role which would allow me to grow these skills further, and that’s what took me to South Korea.
Returning to my team in the UK now, I’m confident that I bring a strong & unique skillset from the past 5 years, which makes me happy with the path I’ve taken.”
Katherine Magowan: Category Engineer – New Ventures in Singapore
After completing her studies at the Dyson Institute, Katherine embarked her accelerated career journey as a Category Engineer that led her to spend six months on secondment in Singapore.
“Since graduating from the Dyson Institute what have you been up to at Dyson?”
“After graduation from the Dyson Institute, I spent 6 months on secondment in Singapore, working on one of our upcoming haircare technologies. Whilst there I helped with the launch of our new blue-blush colourways and Dyson designed hairclips. I met a range of journalists and influencers across two days, presenting our technology and design process to them as well as answering any of their technical questions – it’s great to watch real users interact with our innovations for the first time!”
These opportunities to work on familiar projects not only strengthened Katherine's engineering capabilities playing a pivotal role in shaping her professional growth.
"What was it like to see your work in the world?"
“This was a full-circle moment for me, having worked extensively on hairclips concepts during my 3rd and 4th year of the institute, while on placement in the industrial design team. Through the institute I’ve had chances to work abroad, get to know our users and present to crowds – giving plenty of opportunities to develop softer skills alongside engineering capability.”
If you’re interested in learning more about the opportunities available at the Dyson Institute and following in the footsteps of some of our Graduates find out more about our programmes below.
