Tell us a fun fact about yourself
I used to be a professional football player after leaving school, but the draw of engineering was too strong…
Tell us about your career journey so far
I initially started working on constructions sites as a Civil Engineering Technician (after failed football career) before going to University to study Civil Engineering. After completing several summer placements on site and in civil design I joined the Oil and Gas industry after graduating. I have worked in this industry for 6 years gaining exposure to a variety of exciting projects such as coordinating the removal of an offshore module that weighed 700 tonnes (which equates to ~40 double decker buses in one lift!). I also recently became a Chartered Civil Engineer.
What was your favourite subject in school and why?
Science – I really enjoyed putting theory into practice and completing different experiments.
What subjects/qualifications are useful in your role?
Physics and Mathematics are important for my role when completing calculations however the use of English for communicating clearly and efficiently is also very important.
What is your favourite thing about your job?
I enjoy being involved in the early design of a project and completing the number crunching for design calculations. I then get the opportunity to see the implications of my design in the manufacturing stage before seeing these items being installed offshore when drilling/completing a well.
What is a normal day in your role like?
My normal day involves communicating with the team offshore on a drilling rig providing technical support to any engineering queries they may have. Solving problems using engineering principles is a daily task.
Suggest an activity that could be done at home that illustrates an aspect of your work?
When you buy a set of lego you will often have a set of instructions to help you build the object. In some ways my job is to write these instructions however it’s not for lego (unfortunately), its instructions for putting different pipes and valves deep in the ground (up to 15,000 feet) that allow valuable Fossil Fuels to come to surface to help humans in every daily life (keeping homes warms, plastics for products in your home and much more).
Use the following link to find more about Fossil Fuels : https://youtu.be/zaXBVYr9Ij0