• Question: What experience do you have being an engineer

    Asked by 726eneq24 to Oliver, Lesley, Leah, Hannah, Graeme, Aleks on 13 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Hannah Griffin

      Hannah Griffin answered on 13 Mar 2019:

      I only have experience as a software engineer though I do now manage other types of engineers e.g. systems and network engineers. Check out my profile for a bit more info. If that is not enough though, or you were after something else, let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to expand on my answer!

    • Photo: Lesley Colquhoun

      Lesley Colquhoun answered on 13 Mar 2019:

      I wasn’t really interested in engineering when i was younger and didn’t do associated work experience.

      My first related work experience was during university using the IAESTE program run by the British Council which is almost an exchange program where you go abroad and work for a set amount of time, I done mine during the summer break in Budapest working with MATLAB and Simulink which are computer programming and simulation softwares. When i completed this, i vowed t never work with that again! I hated it! but the experience abroad and working in a work environment was great!

      My main experience of what i do now started when i started in my first job, i worked as a “Finite Element Analysis Engineer” this was looking at structures before they were built to make sure they would survive in the real world. I realised ~1.5 years in that i did not really enjoy this and wanted move into the design and projects side where i have been for 4.5 years now learning more about the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of equipment.

      I am now in the process of changing jobs again to gain more experience and will be moving into commissioning and service to get more hands on experience of how it all comes together and making it work!

      My advice would be, if you know you want to be an engineer now, start to look at local businesses/ projects you can do at home or with family members to start your understanding of the basics as soon as possible. When you are looking for work placements/ a job later in life, experience goes a lot further than the grades you got!

      Let me know if you have any specific questions 🙂

    • Photo: Graeme Burt

      Graeme Burt answered on 13 Mar 2019:

      I have been an engineer for 12 years, I have been technically an electronic and electrical enginer the whole time but I do a bit of mechanical engineering, a bit of nuclear engineering, a bit of mechantronics, a bit of software and a bit of chemical. Everything except civil.
      At school I worked in the holidays as an electricans labourer, then I went to Uni and did a summer placement designing Radar, after my degree I did a PhD in microwave engineering and since then I have been designing particle accelerators at Lancaster University.

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