Hayley Thomas
Product Development Engineer, Fisher & Paykel Appliances
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechanical Engineering (First Class)
The practical nature of her degree was a highlight for her, says Hayley Thomas who studied a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechanical Engineering.
“Most classes were designed to enable me to experience the knowledge, not just read it. The highlights of my educational journey with AUT would have to be creating a simulated business around introducing an innovative product to market, creating and testing the benefits of different gear profiles for specific real-world applications and modelling a human arterial system to investigate how a variety of medical differences can impact flow parameters. I was given the opportunity to present business cases to real-life investors, work closely with industry professionals to understand highly technical problems and showcase solutions to these problems.
“I particularly enjoyed my final year which included a huge variety of knowledge application opportunities. I created an app to process multiple complicated loading situations capable of giving everyday users access to structural safety information, investigated and diagnosed real-life mechanical failure modes through multiple scientific testing processes using highly technical imagery and composition detection devices, designed a variety of new products, parts and processes to solve industry-level problems, and worked within groups to develop effective business management structures. The practical nature of my degree gave me real-world experience to bring to my internships and graduate role.”
As someone who has always been curious about how things work, engineering was always on the cards for her.
“I knew when I was very young that I wanted to be an engineer, so the programme choice was the easy part. I tried to do my research between universities, visiting some and looking at reviews, and one thing drew me to AUT: personhood – the simple feeling of being seen. I didn’t want to go to a huge uni with hundreds of other students all in competition rather than collaboration. The major drawcards for me were AUT’s pragmatic approach to inclusion, their purposeful design to boost student-life balance and intentional care initiatives. It didn’t take long for me to accept AUT’s offer once I experienced their vision.”
Developing engineering solutions
After graduating from AUT at the end of 2025, Hayley now enjoys her role as a product development engineer at Fisher & Paykel Appliances.
“My favourite part about this role is being able to see the change I’m making. The problems I solve and decisions I make have a real-world impact on our customers’ experience. I’m trusted to use the knowledge and experience gained through AUT to design parts, solve problems and manage engineering processes. I love the variety I get within my role – I can be editing part models at 9am, discussing chemical testing with international product development teams at 10am, then testing structural parts at 11am.
“My first big achievement came in the first few months working for Fisher & Paykel Appliances, I was given a task that required investigation, developing a solution, aligning with stakeholders, a detailed design, a review with the manufacturing teams and then testing prototype parts. A part that I designed is being manufactured and is now included in our products. After that project, I was offered the opportunity of managing two laundry accessories from engineering trial to production. In fact, you can buy these products right now! The trust behind my capability as an engineer has been the biggest achievement.”
She says her AUT studies prepared her well for the role she has today.
“The group projects I completed in my degree prepared me to work with a variety of people with different skillsets and different prior knowledge. AUT’s practical multi-stage assignments enabled me to begin developing project management skills, which I’ve continued to use in my career so far. But the biggest area of preparation has been turning theory into practice.”
Advice for other students
Hayley – who is proud of graduating with first-class honours and of completing the AUT Edge Award alongside her studies, gaining the AUT Edge Overall Achievement Award for her hard work – has some great advice for other students.
“Make the most of in-person tutorials, lectures and labs – they’re awesome for your learning, but also for making connections, getting advice on assignments and building experience working in professional environments. I’d also hugely recommend using the opportunities AUT’s Employability Lab offers. Experiences like the AUT Edge Award have been hugely beneficial to my personal and professional skills.”
She also has some guidance around a career in mechanical engineering.
“Get experience however you can – ask local companies, apply for internships, take every opportunity AUT offers to get into labs and join clubs in STEM.”
