Jen Smith
Principal Rail Engineer at Mott MacDonald ltd
Choose maths and science at school. Although it is not a pre requisite for engineering, it will make the field easier to get into. Get work experience with a design firm as early as possible. Don't listen when someone tells you that you can't do it.
About Jen...
Who am I?
"My job means I need to talk to lots of people on a daily basis to make sure all the aspects of a design fit together, so my Coach and Innovator work really well in this. My Trainer trait helps when I collaborate and help people to work together to find the best solutions and discover any problems as early as possible."
What do I do?
"I lead the design of large infrastructure projects and coordinate lots of different people to work together. I get to travel all over the world and meet and talk to lots of people."
How did I get here?
"I decided I wanted to work in this area when an engineer came into my physics A level class to speak to us about their job. I have a background in Engineering and realised I was good at coordinating people, so this led me to my current role. Engineering as a career gave me the opportunity to travel, which is something that I wanted to do."
The life I live
"I spent my time running, hiking, writing, reading and travelling. I also enjoy time with my family, going out with my sisters and socialising with friends."
My typical day
"My typical day involves lots of talking to people and coordinating designs to make sure we are all working towards a common goal."
My qualifications
"Secondary education (GCSE/O-Levels)Post secondary education (College, A-levels, NVQ3 or equivalent)Undergraduate degree (BSc, BA, etc.) Undergraduate masters (MEng) Civil Engineering Chartered engineer with the Institution of Civil Engineers"