What I Do?
My name is Amanda, I am a Senior Engineering Technician, and I am here to tell you how rewarding a career in the world of Engineering can be. I started in the industry 12 years ago, after graduating with a degree in Computer Aided Design at the University of the West of Scotland, back in 2009.
So, what exactly is it that an Engineering Technician does? Let’s think about the bigger picture. As an Engineering Technician, we work directly with the Engineers and Designers, as well as many other team members in order to develop a concept or idea and bring into reality.
If we think about a Civil Engineering Technician’s job, in its most simplistic term, it is to essentially create an “instruction manual” for constructing a design on site. The manual must contain the specific and complex data and elements in a clear and concise manner for the Contractor to use on site to build from. From the use of Detail Drawings and/or a Model depending on what is required. However, the format must also be clear and understandable for the Client in which you are designing for. This is where 3D Modelling and Building Information Modelling (BIM) comes into play. Technology has allowed Technicians and Engineers to work more cohesively over the years. With the adoption of BIM, it allows the “3D” aspect of my job to be elevated. It enables the Technicians, Architects, Engineers & Contractors to “speak to one another “within one virtual platform. This one platform contains all the information and data from every team member with regards to the project. This ultimately helps to ensure the design is coordinated efficiently and is managed within one central environment, thus creating a realistic virtual vision of the design itself.
Why Did I Choose a Career in Engineering?
When I was at school, I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do. I knew where my strengths laid; subjects such as Art & Design, English, Maths, Graphic Communications and Computing Studies were subjects that very much kept me interested and felt challenged. Where those subjects would take me was a big question mark, all I knew was I wanted to be a part of something within the creative design industry.
I left school in my 5th year and I enrolled in an Interior Design Course using CAD software, which really opened my eyes into the creative world of design and technology. I began researching careers in construction and quickly realised engineering is where I found myself drawn to. This led me to apply to UWS for Computer Aided Design as a starting point in my career life. I was lucky at this point, to be accepted for a role then with a Civil Engineering Consultant as a Junior Technician based in Glasgow. The rest is history as they say…
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