Elena Martin Fernandez

"My personality types are Communicator, Coordinator and Trainer. I think they do fit although probably other roles would fit as well.In my day to day role, I have to understand quite complicated information relating to design, and then explain this information in a simple way to the public, clients, stakeholders, and members of other technical specialties. I have to keep an open mind, listening to each person's queries and ideas, and communicating to each stakeholder how their part fits in the scheme. Often this requires patience whilst keeping an eye on timescales, because engineers never work alone - in a scheme you always have to communicate with other specialities like structures, drainage, environmental, ground, etc. Explaining and listening to each discipline's proposal requires understanding how each person approaches a problem, efficiently getting as many of those things to work together without stepping on each other toes, for a good and well integrated proposal that will actually be useful and fit the project's needs, not just its scope."

"What I like most about my work is the puzzle solving, each problem is different and there is not just one solution, so you have to be quite creative to get to the solution. My day to day is mostly using Computer Assisted Design (CAD) in 3D to fit the solutions in a 3D model of the terrain and area. Those designs will then be placed in drawings and reports, explaining why that is the best option available. As a graduate the salary starts at £25k and for my role (principal, about 6 years experience) it's usually over £40k in the West Midlands area."

"Since you can't work as an engineer without a degree in Spain, I followed the 'usual' route. I went to university and studied for my BEng, completed with a MEng, and then went in different engineering roles to figure out what I liked. I have worked as Site Engineer in Scotland, I have been PM project manager (PM) for Research and Development (R&D) department in a construction company in Spain, and then moved to UK to pursue highways, roads and street designs, where I have been mostly working on cycleways, bus lanes, and existing road improvements ."

"I play guitar and violin (I hold a degree for violin), I love roleplaying game (RPG) videogames (Mass Effect 2 being the best one ever), and I read a lot of fiction and science fiction (about 4 books a month). I speak Spanish, English and French, and I'm currently studying Japanese because I'm a proper geek. I can't keep plants alive and I still buy lego for myself."

"I turn on the computer and start the CAD programme. I then read through my emails to see if there are any \"fires\" to put out (urgent problems or designs needed outside the usual scope). If not I will focus on the current design I'm working on in either 3D or 2D (sketches) and try and solve the current probelm. I will talk to my technicians to see if they need help with anything and set a meeting with them (usually these days in Teams as I work from home full time), and answer their questions if they are easy. I will then catch up with other designers or the project manager to make sure we are still in time for delivery, and if not, identify what's keeping us and focus on it. By the end of the day I might check other designer's drawings (plans, sketches for different areas like pavement, road markings or signs) and either send them back with comments to correct or advance for approvals. At delivery date all files will get approved and sent to the client (usually a council or local highway authority) for their approval and comments. Rinse and repeat the next day with a new problem to solve - always similar, but never the same!"

"Master's in Civil Engineering (Transportation)"