"My personality types areCommunicatorCoordinatorInvestigatorThese suit me perfectly as I am mix of all three.As a Change Manager, words are very important as I have to persuade people to work differently, which they often don't want to do at first. I explain what they will gain from working in a new way - the new way has to be simpler or there is no point in changing. Most people don't like change, they like to keep doing things the same way, but this is not always the best way. My job is to gather the evidence to prove that there is a better way and to involve people in their own change so that they feel in control. No one likes being told what to do without a good reason for doing it - adults are no different to children in that respect.I am very good with words and with numbers. As an Engineer and project manager, maths is very important - what I design has to be correct and I have a budget to meet on my projects. In order to persuade people to change, I need to gather the evidence and I need maths for this too. It takes maths to explain that a new way of working will save time and allow them to do the work they never get a chance to do.I am very logical. I am good at collecting ideas and information from people (and things) and I am good at understanding lots of different things. I can explain complex problems using simple language - this is a very important part of persuading people to change the way they work. No one will change if they don't understand what you're saying."

"I have a number of roles on a typical project:Project ManagerChange ManagerTeam Leader As a Project Manager I'm in charge of the project. I need to work out what we are going to do (this is called the Project Scope), I need to keep the project on time and I need to ensure that we are producing work that is of good enough quality.As a Change Manager I have to work with people to persuade them to change. There is no point in me working out what needs to change by myself and telling them what to do though - how much do you like it when you're told what to do without a good reason to do it? Do you like doing something if you don't think it's the best thing to do? I don't expect other people to like it either. I work with the people who are going to change they work. They understand the work they do far better than me. They know what the problems are. It is very likely that they already have solutions to those problems. My job is to work with them, gather all of the information, work out if their solutions will work for the company, and then agree a new way of working.As a Team Leader I am responsible for making sure that all of the members of my project team are able to work to the best of their ability. If they don't have the tools that they need to do their work I get them. They might be struggling to understand the work, or why we are doing it in the first place - my job is to paint a picture of the whole project so that everyone knows what we're doing, why we're doing it and what part they play in it. If I was completing a jigsaw of boats on water on a summer's day, I would show everyone the picture on the box, then I might ask one person to do the edge, one person the sky, one person the boats and I might look for the water pieces. Then we would all know what our jobs are to complete the jigsaw and we can work together harmoniously."

"My father, my chemistry teacher and my English teacher inspired me. I decided that I wanted to be a Chemical Engineer at the age of 13. I loved chemistry and wanted to apply it. My father was a Civil / Mechanical Engineer and he suggested that I combine chemistry with engineering, so I did. My parents and my English teacher instilled a love of books in me. I still love reading, fiction and non-fiction. A lot of my work includes reading about new ways of managing projects and people."

"I learned to tap dance when I was 40 and now I am learning the French Horn which I play in a marching band. It is never too late to learn a new skill. I have a dog who keeps me active, but thankfully she doesn't like going for walks in the rain (I don't either).I am a mum of 2 daughters and I have been able to work 3 or 4 days a week since having my first child. I am 50, although I don't feel it - I still feel like I'm in my 20s. My parents ran a hotel and a watersports centre, so I met lots of people from other countries as I was growing up. I still like talking to new people and finding out all about them. "

"There is no typical day in my work, which is what I love about it.One day I am running a workshop, another day I am solving a problem and another day I am doing project administration (it's not all fun and games, sadly). Some days I do all three.Every day I talk to my team so that we all know what each other is doing and understand if there are any problems. Then if I need to to, I will work with them individually to help to resolve their issues.I create and deliver training material, chair some meetings and attend other meetings.I regularly meet my Manager so make sure that my project is still helping the company in the right way. I often have to amend a project because something has changed in the company, but that's part of the fun.Everything I do moves my project forward.If you don't enjoy change, Change Management is not for you, but if you like change and thinking on your feet it's a great job."

"My GCSE-equivalent subjects were maths, arithmetic, physics, chemistry, English, music, geography, and French.I studied maths, physics and chemistry at A-level. Then I took a degree in Chemical Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, where I got a 2:2.After University I traveled in Europe and I lived in France for a year, working as an au pair (a nanny) and learning French at a French school for foreigners (Alliance Francais). This really helped to build my confidence. I very nearly studied wine making in France, but was told that there were no jobs for women in wine making!!I then worked for a year in Scotland and went travelling again - this time to India, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong and South Africa.When I came back, I decided to take a Masters Degree in Environmental Pollution Control Management, which I passed with a Distinction.I finally started work at the age of 27, which seemed quite old at the time.I started work at a Graduate Chemical Engineer in the water industry. After nearly 5 years I became a Chartered Chemical Engineer, which means that I was able to prove that I had enough experience to be a trusted Chemical Engineer.I then moved onto managing small Engineering projects, then small change projects.I lived in New Zealand for 3 years, where I managed change projects and Engineering projects.I moved back to Scotland just after my older daughter was born. I managed change projects from then until now.I have worked for a number of different companies and I owned my own company for over 7 years. During those 7 years I was a contractor, which means that I was employed to work on a specific project for an agreed length of time and then I had to find something else to do. It was fun for a while, but I decided to work for Scottish Water as an employee so that I could get better projects."