Insights from a Capstone Alum at Visitech Americas

Kiyan Bhalla is a UTDesign alum and is currently working as an engineer & project
manager at Visitech Americas.

How did your experience with the UTDesign Capstone project prepare you for your
current role at Visitech?
Bhalla: “Senior design was the first time I had an opportunity to work on a long-term project as part of
my core curriculum, and it provided me with valuable insights and experience into all stages of
the engineering process. Being appointed as the engineering team lead of my group, I also had
the chance to implement various project management techniques to help set my team on the path
for success, which eventually landed me my current role as an engineering project manager. I did
not realize it at the time, but the day-to-day tasks from my capstone project closely match many
of my current responsibilities and accurately reflect the technical expectations of a practicing
engineer in today’s workforce.”

What unique skills or insights did you gain from UTDesign that you feel set you apart in
the job market?
Bhalla: “In addition to fine-tuning my practical abilities, I completed UTDesign with a rolodex of
amazing connections and a suite of unique non-technical skills such as learning how to pitch
ideas, host formal reviews, control a budget, uphold documentation, maintain complex
schedules, negotiate with stakeholders, and manage personalities within a team. These are all real
examples of talents which are not ordinarily taught in the classroom but have gone on to serve
me well in my career.”

In what ways did the UTDesign Senior Capstone project benefit your company, and how
did it help you showcase your capabilities to potential employers?
Bhalla: “Employers clearly recognize the value of practical experience, and it seems to be highly
important these days. I was able to demonstrate my capacity as a leader through the results of my
capstone project, which helped me secure multiple job offers before I had even graduated. In
fact, while reviewing resumes from undergraduates, one of the top differentiators I now look for
between applicants is how much hands-on experience a student has through practical programs
like UTDesign.
For companies who sponsor a capstone project, like my current employer Visitech Americas did,
they can expect direct access to a talented pool of students who come out of their senior year
already well-versed in their products and systems, with essentially one year of highly focused
technical expertise. In addition to receiving the final build of our project, my sponsor received
over 1800 hours of combined engineering time from my team, which I imagine greatly alleviated
the pressure to allocate critical resources towards our initiative too.”

Reflecting on your time in the program, what aspects of the experience were most
valuable to your career development?
Bhalla: “The complete journey of taking a project from cradle to grave provided me with the knowhow to
confidently oversee the development of future projects from A-Z. Also, overcoming the
engineering challenges at each step along the way forced me to take up new proficiencies or
figure out innovate ways to work around these hurdles. My experiences proved to be incredibly
valuable since I already had prior training with the industry tools, formats, and procedures that
applied to my role even before day one at the office, which meant I was able to hit the ground
running.”

What advice would you give future students about making the most of their Capstone
projects?
Bhalla: “My advice to future students is to use UTDesign as a sandbox for your learning. It’s rare to find
such an open environment where you are free to consult experts, experiment, make mistakes, and
try new things all at once. I also encourage students to figure out early on what they are
personally looking to get out of their capstone projects so they can begin maximizing their efforts
in that direction right way.
At times, senior design can feel more like a homework assignment, but students should instead
think of it as one extra-long exam where your capabilities, your character, and your capacity to
learn are tested and pushed to new levels. Ultimately, this is an opportunity to put your best foot
forward to prove that you can pull off working on hard projects over the long term, so make the
most of it.”