Career Profile - Heather McEwen, Press & Journal03/06/2011

back to list

Name: Heather McEwen
Age: 28
Job Title: Project Engineer
Qualifications: BEng Hons, MSc

Getting There:
I left school and headed to Glasgow University to study mechanical engineering with product design. Although I enjoyed the design side of my course, I realised engineering was where my strengths lay. Because of my father's job, I had always been aware of the offshore industry, but it wasn't until I spent a couple of months on work experience in the industry that I realised the offshore business was where I wanted to work.

Once I graduated from Glasgow, I went to Cranfield University to study Offshore and Ocean Technology, my reasoning being that this would give me a detailed grounding and awareness of offshore engineering before applying for jobs and starting work. When I completed the course at Cranfield, in 2007, I moved to Aberdeen, where I joined a graduate training scheme at a major subsea installation contractor. In my first couple years in the world of work, I was exposed to the execution of projects, practical offshore experience and valuable training sessions. However, it was my curiosity as to how offshore fields developed from concept to installation that drove me to look for a different job and led me to ADIL.

Job specifications:
I spend time interfacing with discipline engineers, specialists and outside companies to bring together the best solution for whatever the project/problem may be. Currently, I am part of a team working to define the best solution for an offshore development. We have recently completed the Feed (Front End Engineering and Design) stage of the project, where I was involved in the design of field layout and specification of equipment, and I'm now engaged in tendering activities for all key components of the system.

Best Bits:
The best part of my job is working in a team where I am continually learning something new. Each person brings their own skills and experience and I enjoy working within this group to achieve technically sound and economical solutions to clients' problems/issues/concerns. I'm learning that usually at some point during the life of a project the goalposts change and I enjoy the challenge of seeing how a project evolves.

Worst Bits:
I know it sounds silly, but there are no parts to my job that I consider terrible. Of course there are days when things don't go as planned and you find yourself back a few steps, but I don't think that is something solely linked to my job. On the days when things don't go according to plan, I try to look at how it affects other things and, if needs be, sit down and talk it through with the boss.

Perks of the Job:
I am entitled to work flexi-time, which is great when you want to escape an hour or two early on a Friday to start the weekend, and I am always given great support and career development opportunities. The company also provides me with the chance to experience the many different facets of the firm, as opposed to being pigeon-holed.

Advice to Others:
There are a couple of short phrases that come to my mind: The devil is in the detail, so check, check and check again, and every day is a school day; you never know when you will learn something new.