Caroline Roche

"I am a senior control systems engineer based in the West Midlands but with projects all over the UK and abroad. I think all three of my personality types (Campaigner, Communicator and Coordinator) fit perfectly with the work I do on projects. Working on projects means I get to work with lots of different people, so working well with others, being patient and compassionate to ensure that we are all able to come together to get the project completed on time is very important. Being a good communicator is also essential. I need to be able to present a design using words everyone can understand. Listen to their feedback and include that in the design or where the design can’t be changed explain this. "

"I work on projects that develop software to control industrial equipment to be used in dangerous environments. This means people can safely control equipment using a computer without the need to put themselves in danger.I love the fact that each project is different. I get to meet lots of different people and use various types of software and equipment. Graduate control system engineers can expect a salary of £20,000+ initially, rising with experience. "

"I initially studied to become a physicist but found I enjoyed the more practical side, building and programming electrical equipment. I didn’t really know anyone who had worked as an engineer, but I was always told to do what I enjoyed so I changed to a more hands-on science degree.After graduating I joined Capula as a graduate engineer, whom I stayed with since. After completing my graduate program, I became a fully fledged engineer and was then promoted to senior engineer a few years later. "

"In my spare time, I love to travel and explore new places, from Scotland all the way to Japan. I am also a member of my local archery club, where my maths skills come in handy counting up scores. When I can’t get outside, I enjoy reading, knitting and cross-stitch. "

"My typical day will usually be split with half the day spent on design work and the other half spent on creating the software.Design work usually involves replying to design questions, creating or updating documents and attending meetings to discuss how the project is going. Creating the software involves taking the documentation created during the design work and converting them into software, building a test rig (which is somewhere the software can be tested while another computer pretends to be the large equipment) and testing the software either by myself or with the people who will eventually run the equipment. The main outcome I hope to achieve is creating a piece of software that works with the equipment so that the whole system works as people need. "

"I graduated with a First Class Honours in Applied Physics and Instrumentation which was a four year course involving two large projects using control system software and equipment.I have also completed courses in Effective Team Member Skills, Safety Passport training (which allows me to attend industrial sites) and specific training on the control system software I use (Codra Panorama, Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk View). "