Benjamin Swift
Current Employer/Organisation Name
easyJet
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
Commercial flight training (18 months – 2 years) Working as a commercial airline pilot on the Airbus A320 initially for the Icelandic carrier WOW Air. More recently at easyJet based in London Gatwick.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
Becoming an airline pilot had always been a lifelong dream of mine. Travelling to new destinations, the responsibility & thrill of flying an aircraft, variation of my work day to day – differing crew, routes, weather, passengers etc!
Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?
Biology, Ski, RAG.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
The broad and varied topics covered during the course. The mix of both theoretical and practical aspects of the course. I discovered I had a real interest in marine biology through studying multiple avenues within bioscience. Highlight has to be being hands on within the marine biology aspects of my course – the Bahamas field trip & performing a wet-lab dissertation project in the research aquarium.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
The campus, the city, the people (both friends & lecturers)!
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
The location, set in one of England’s most beautiful areas with easy access to the coast! The beautiful campus. Exeter as a city is perfect as a university town, being big enough, but not too big for all student needs!
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
Applying parts of my course/skills gained from my course – theoretical analysis, teamwork experiences (e.g. when I participated in a RAG climb of Kilimanjaro), leadership, time management etc. My time at Exeter enabled me to be able to give precise examples in job interviews of demonstrating these key employer skills.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Study hard, grasp experiences outside of academia & go for it!
What are your plans for the future?
To hopefully become a captain!
