Laura Doyles

Occupation: Graduate Mechanical Engineer
Company: Total E&P UK Ltd.

An interesting fact about me that most people don't know is....
that I've danced on stage at a theatre show in the West End of London!

Why did you decide to become an engineer?
I did A-levels in Maths, Physics and French and wanted to do a University course that would combine all my subjects. I attended a week long engineering course and I realised that the problem solving and analytical side of engineering really appealed to me. It would also give me the chance to use my organisational skills through project management.

What route did you take into Engineering?
I completed A-levels, went straight to University and did an MEng that included a year of studying abroad in France. Then I started the graduate programme at Total and I'm currently working towards becoming a Chartered engineer.

What does your job entail?
It's very varied! I'm on the graduate training programme which means that I do 6 month long placements in different parts of teh company.
So far I've managed a medium sized project and also worked in Operations and Maintenance as a site support engineer. I've also worked on Off-shore repairs (pictured right), as well as in the Sustainability department which has involved a more analytical side of engineering.

What do you really do day to day at work?
It totally depends on what we're working on at that time! It could be anything from writing downscopes of work for future modifications to equipment, to purchasing  new equipment, or visiting companies to analyse the performance and reliability of equipment they have that we might like to use.

What's good about your job?
No one day is the same, which makes it enjoyable. I face challenges every day and have to solve problems that I might have no experience in, which means I'm always learning new things which is interesting. I' also get to work alongside more experienced engineers who support me and increase my knowl;edge, helping to develop communication and team work skills.

What's the worst thing about your job?
It can be frustrating if you can't solve a problem, but that's part of the challenge! 
It's also the reason you have colleagues to rely on to help you, as some engineering problems are cross-disciplinary and require a number of people to come together and each contribute their personal skills and knowledge to find a solution.

What do you think makes a good engineer?
To be a good problem solver, ask lots of questions to make sure you get all the accurate information, be confident in your own knowledge and be strong enough to argue your ideas!

What advice would you give to someone interested in engineering careers?
It will never be boring! There's so much variety of interests and industries available, and the skills you'll gain are extremely transferable to other areas as well, such as team work, communicating, problem solving, project  management etc. T
he financial benefits of engineering can also be very rewarding, as well as the opportunities to travel to work abroad if that's something you're interested in.

Most people don't know that...
The Fourth Rail Bridge, opened in 1890, was constructed using more than 55,000 tons of steel, 18,122 meteres of granite and over eight million  rivets! 98 people were killed and hundreds more injured during the construction of the bridge which still stands today.