Education and qualifications:
SCQF Level 6, Designing Watermains, McCrae Training (In Progress)
HND, Civil Engineering, Dundee and Angus College      
HNC, Civil Engineering, Dundee and Angus College      
HNC, Built Environment, North East Scotland College     

Job title:
Civil Engineering Technician 

Employer:
Arch Henderson LLP

What/who inspired you to become an engineer? 
I opted to get into engineering because of the supportive teachers in the technology department at school. Technology was the subject that I enjoyed the most and after hearing insight from teachers who had come from the construction industry, I realised I could turn my favourite class into a job.

Please describe your role within the workplace.
I’m responsible for civil engineering design and drafting work for a range of public and private sector projects throughout the UK and the Falkland Islands. From concept design to completion, I provide designs, reports, calculations and drawings for drainage, water and road networks.

What is the most challenging aspect of your role? 
The most challenging part of my job is that every project I work on is typically a bespoke design. I am constantly learning new methods, products, and software and contacting people to ensure I can help provide the best solution and make the project a reality.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your role? 
I enjoy getting out on site during or after construction. After spending years creating drawings for a project, it’s nice to see it become a reality. It gives perspective and context on the work that you do in the office and how it is implemented.

What is the biggest career highlight or achievement you’re most proud of? 
As I’m still early in my career, I’m most proud of completing my training courses while working full-time. Managing my time between work deadlines and coursework deadlines can be tricky at times, but I am very fortunate to have a supportive employer.

Why did you choose to become professionally registered?
As I decided not to go to university, I wanted to prove to myself and others that there are always other ways to reach your goals. Becoming professionally registered and recognised is something I am immensely proud of, it’s nice to be a part of something bigger.

I would recommend professional registration because… 
I’d recommend getting registered because it’s a great way to get involved with the social side and community of like-minded professionals. It’s always beneficial to know others outside of your organisation and learn about their particular branch of expertise.

What career advice would you give to your younger self? 
The best piece of advice I could give would be to persevere and don’t panic when things go wrong. Don’t be afraid to try a different tactic. Listen and learn from your colleagues, they will all have different ways of doing things – figure out what works best for you.

Do you participate in mentoring, volunteering, or membership of other engineering groups? 
I don’t currently participate in mentoring or volunteering as I am still working on my own career goals. This is something I am keen to do in the future when I have gained more experience. I am however a member of the Aberdeen Association of Civil Engineer (AACE), who hold monthly Continuing Professional Development events for members to attend; case studies, innovative products, local city masterplan discussions and social events such as dinners or pub quiz nights. These are beneficial from a social aspect and to discover ongoing projects out of my company’s specialities.

If relevant, please list three favourite projects you have worked on

• Seagreen Operations and Maintenance Base for Offshore Windfarm

This was the first project where I was given more independent design responsibility. I carried out the site level, road and drainage design from conception to completion. I learned a lot about incorporating and considering various other components and services on-site while carrying out my design.

• Aberdeen Harbour Expansion Project

I created designs for a new south harbour that provides deep-water berths and heavy-lift capabilities and can accommodate vessels up to 300m long. I assisted with designs and drawing work for the site levels, drainage and pavement design. This was a challenging project in terms of scale and amount of collaborative work with external companies.

• Carlindean Farm

This project involved designing a watermain that provides fire provision for an existing agricultural development and a new potable water supply for a proposed residential property. I took more responsibility for this project and was the main contact for the client during the design phase. I enjoyed being more on the front line and building a relationship with external parties.