Role: Manufacturing Engineer
Company: Schrader Electronics
Track Record:
“Engineering at present is still male dominated but more and more girls are starting to recognise it as a realistic career option. I would definitely encourage them to as so many females have the right skills to go far and it provides great opportunities,” she says.
What does your job entail?
I help to develop and verify highly sophisticated, bespoke machinery and then put it into production, making sure everything is set up properly for the manufacture of new products.
Contrary to what many people perceive about working in automotive manufacturing, I’m not up to my elbows in oil every day, but am fortunate to work in a very clean and pristine environment!
At the moment my specific job entails working on plastic laser welding — an innovative, state of the art technique being used by Schrader.
Most people think of James Bond or Star Wars when I tell them I work with lasers, but I haven’t met any ‘bad guys’ so far.
With Schrader I also get the opportunity to travel.
I recently attended a conference in Chicago and Estonia to begin the verification of a new laser welding machine.
I am also learning German because we work with a lot of suppliers and customers there — with Schrader I always have the chance to learn something new which keeps my job very interesting.
Is it 9-5?
No, I usually work from 7.30am until 4pm.
This is because the shift changes at 8am and I need to be there to speak to the overnight engineers in case there have been any issues that I need to rectify.
I usually finish around 4pm but there are often times when I need to work beyond this due to customer audits or urgent development work.
How did you get into this line of work?
I come from a car-mad family and having an older brother meant playing with cars or not playing at all.
My first interest was in product design but it wasn’t until my final year at school that I decided to go down the path of mechanical engineering.
I had to do a placement as part of my degree, which I completed at Schrader.
I really enjoyed that experience and was fortunate enough to be offered a fulltime position after I graduated.
Tell us about your qualifications/training?
I have a BEng in mechanical engineering from Queen’s University and won the IMechE Project prize for my final year project on Schrader’s plastic laser welding process.
I thoroughly enjoyed the research and it definitely stood me in good stead for when I returned after graduation.
It’s very important to keep learning as an engineer because you need to stay ahead of the technology so I’ve had the opportunity to complete courses in Lean/Six Sigma and also with Nebosh and the Institute of Learning and Management.
What qualities are required for your job – personal and professional?
A good grasp of the basics of mechanical engineering is essential — you definitely learn on the job, but having a strong theoretical background is the key to progression.
Good interpersonal skills are also important as you speak to customers and production staff as well as your own team every day.
Being able to convey an idea to them is as important as being able to come up with one.
You need to have a real passion for manufacturing, be prepared to be very hands on and get stuck into a lot of engineering detail.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
When I was choosing my degree, I was advised to complete a placement year instead of choosing the three year degree, which is solely class-based learning.
I was assured that the year of working would be invaluable to my career and it absolutely was.
Not only did it help me to secure a permanent job, but I believe the experience I gained with Schrader during my placement also helped me to perform better in my final year at university.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I am a keen swimmer and would try to get to the pool three or four times a week.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
As a female in the world of engineering, I am constantly outnumbered by my male colleagues and I was one of a handful of girls on my course at university.
However, for seven years I had a part time job working in a bridal shop in Ballynahinch and it was lovely to have an ultra-girly job for a break from the boys!
Engineering at present is still male dominated but more and more girls are starting to recognise it as a realistic career option.
I would definitely encourage them to as so many females have the right skills to go far and it provides great opportunities.
Who has inspired you most in your life?
I have definitely been inspired by my parents; they both work really hard and have always instilled that work ethic in me and in my brother.
They taught us that as long as you work your hardest you will not let yourself down.