In celebration of International Women in Engineering Day on Sunday 23 June 2019, we spoke to alumnae who are now working in the Engineering field.
Helen Hagos (Mechanical Engineering MEng, 2011)
What did you study at Queen Mary and what are you doing now? I studied a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and am currently working as a Project Engineer at AMETEK Airtechnology Group.
What sparked your interest in Engineering? The love of problem solving and PHYSICS!
How did your time and study at Queen Mary help your career and development? Queen Mary has a great set of modules for this course, which were taught by good lecturers that were within reach for any kind of discussion or educational support
Tell us about your first job after graduation and how did you utilise the learning from your time at Queen Mary? My first technical job after graduating was as a Design Engineer at Rolls-Royce Submarine. It was such a great experience to work for a company renowned around the world. It was very much an eye-opener, especially as it was in the submarine sector, which isn’t something you hear about often.
What advice would you offer to current students who themselves are aspiring engineers?
Think big, don’t be afraid to go and apply for direct entry jobs. Don’t just limit yourself to graduate roles. There are many, many forms of engineering out there, from design to manufacturing, purchasing, welding, sales etc. So go out there and try them all out.
Why is exciting to do what you do? I am currently managing a project for supplying actuation motors that get used on helicopter landing gear! My other project is for a pitch and flap actuator.
What are your thoughts on diversity in engineering and do you feel change is needed? I think diversity is key as it contributes towards having diversified solutions, thinking and approaches.
As a woman working in engineering, do you have any role-models that you look up to, both inside and outside of your field? No not really, I am my own self role model. I think if I’ve come so far and I really couldn’t picture it then... then anything is possible!