How long have you been in Engineering and what were you doing before?
I’ve worked in Environmental Engineering since 2013. I actually studied Geoscience with Spanish as an undergraduate degree, and spent a year in Spain working as an English Language assistant as part of my course. When I finished my degree I went back there to look for an engineering job, but ended up working as an English teacher in a high school for 18 months, before returning to the UK to find engineering work.
When did you decide you wanted to be an engineer & what attracted you to the industry?
I decided I wanted to study Geosciences towards the end of high school. I always enjoyed physical geography and especially the field trips. During my undergraduate degree we had various guest lectures and one of these was from an Environmental Consultant who worked in contaminated land. The consultant really brought home the benefits of environmental engineering to the wider community, and I liked the idea of further study into something technical and varied. So, I decided to do a Masters and learn more about the environmental side of the industry. The course was really interesting and covered lots of different topics, including: Environmental Chemistry, Water Policy, Hydrogeology, Geotechnical Investigation Techniques and Contaminated Land.
What does your role at Met entail? What does a typical day look like?
The great thing about my job is that I rarely have a typical day. A project could include carrying out a Phase 1 Desk study and reviewing information including historical maps, borehole records, history of mining, flooding risk and other information for a site which may be proposed for development. If any issues are highlighted at this stage then further site investigation works may be recommended. My role will entail planning the site works and attending site to log ground conditions and collect samples. Once the site works are completed and the results have been received I will compile a report detailing the findings. This may lead to further remediation works before the proposed development can progress.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy the variation in work and the fact that I am always learning new things; it’s also good to have a mixture of both office and site work.
What would you say to other women or girls thinking about a career in engineering?
I would say that it is a great career if you enjoy problem solving and working both outdoors and in the office. There are many different types of Engineering, so take the time to figure out which area you find the most interesting. Environmental Engineering is a really worthwhile path, as it’s required for new developments which help to improve brownfield land and make it usable for future generations.
Met Consultancy Group offer Civil and Structural Engineering services, Land and Building surveys and Geophysics and Utility Mapping. Contact us to find out how we can help with your project.
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