When did you leave Chesterton Community College?

I was at Chesterton from 2011 to 2016.

What is your current job title or field?

I’m currently a Research and Development Graduate Engineer at Siemens Mobility. I work for the railway infrastructure side of Siemens Mobility which focuses on making improvements to the railway so that trains run more smoothly. 

Two examples of projects Siemens Mobility did are the new Elizabeth Line in London and the current improvements being made to the
East Coast Mainline which goes from London to Edinburgh via Cambridge. By removing signals from the side of the tracks and replacing them with instructions to the driver inside the train we can increase the number of trains running at the same time by having trains run closer together.

Did you know as a teenager which career you wanted to pursue or did you come to realise this later on?

I thought I’d like to be an engineer, as it’s a great way to be able to make  change, but I wasn’t sure what type of engineering I wanted to do.

How did you start on your career?

After sixth form I decided to go to university and studied General Engineering at the University of Sheffield. I also did a year in industry with Siemens Mobility which is where I work now. I chose General Engineering as I wanted to keep my options as wide as possible and also because the world is increasingly multidisciplinary (lots of different subjects coming together). Lots of people I work with decided not to go to university and instead decided to do a degree apprenticeship so that’s another option if you decide university isn’t for you.

What do you like about your job? High points?

I enjoy solving problems and learning more about how the railway works especially when it’s as a team or with other people. Since trains are the most sustainable long-distance mode of transport I am motivated to make them better so more people are able to and want to use them. 

What is the first advice you would give a student wanting to follow in this direction?

Keep being curious and asking questions! Exams can be very stressful, so take a moment before you start the test and start with what you know … after you do that more things will likely come back to your memory. 

There are many different paths you can take to become an engineer. For sixth form most people will do Maths and Physics as those are most needed in engineering. Some people do a foundation year before university, some do an apprenticeship … if it’s what you want to do, keep going and you’ll find a way!