Engineering profiles - Sophie Hutchinson

What advice would you give to a young person who is considering engineering at university or as a career?

Engineering is a really great profession which allows us to use our skills like problem solving and team work to influence and change the way we live. There are so many possibilities within an engineering career so you can tailor it to whatever interests you; that might be advancing electric car technology, designing the next jet engine or making prosthetic limbs. An engineering job can also take you all over the world and allow you to work with some amazing people and organisations so whatever you want out of your career there is something in engineering for you! 

My advice to someone considering engineering would be to find the part of it which really grabs your interest. We learn better and enjoy it more if we are passionate about what we are studying so if you can find the bit of engineering that inspires you then you will do really well in your further studies or career. 

Do you think that engineering is inclusive, regardless of your background, gender or nationality? 

For engineers to be successful, we must work together in teams which have diverse skill sets and experiences. Everyone is good at different things, and this is often influenced by factors such as our background, gender and nationality. By ensuring that we work together we can capitalise on everyone’s strengths and make a real positive change to society. 

How did you first become interested in engineering? What inspired you?  

I have always really enjoyed solving problems especially when I get to work together with others to do so. I also like to feel like I can make a difference to people's lives. Therefore, when we had a presentation from a medical engineering company when I was at secondary school, I realised that I could combine all my interests into a very worthwhile career. I studied mechanical engineering at university as I had been fortunate enough to spend a year working at Rolls-Royce who make jet engines. During my time there I enjoyed the variety of projects you could work on and the diverse range of people you could work with. 

How does your discipline affect people people’s lives and the world around us?  

Many people assume that medicine is all about the doctors and nurses however without the scientists and engineers working behind the scenes, advances in healthcare would be a lot slower. Medical engineering takes the principles of mechanical engineering and applies them to improving the health and wellbeing of patients. This may include designing new joint replacements which will allow people to be active for longer or looking at ways to test new surgical treatments to ensure that they are as successful as possible. Medical engineering also looks at how we can ensure there is access to safe healthcare all over the world and how technology can be used to advance healthcare in developing countries.  

What are challenges might you face as an engineer? 

There are many challenges that you might face within the field of engineering (but in my opinion that is what makes it so exciting!) You are often trying to find a new way to do something or trying to design a new product so sometimes it can feel like you are not making any progress. However, these are the times when it is really important to work within a supportive and diverse team so that you can brainstorm new ideas and approaches together. 

Engineering is also such a broad discipline varying from a desk job in a modern office to being in a lab testing new techniques or out in the field building new projects. Deciding which aspect of engineering you want to focus on has been something I have struggled with but thankfully a broad degree such as mechanical engineering leaves some of these doors open for me in the future. 

Is engineering a skilled profession, in a similar way to a discipline like Medicine? 

To become a chartered engineer, which is a strictly controlled title (like doctor or lawyer), you need a master’s level degree or equivalent and 4 years of professional experience. It is a status to aspire to and is only awarded to the most skilled and dedicated professional engineers. There are so many engineering roles that require really high levels of skill such as designing cars, robotics, medical implants, advanced electronics, green energy and so much more!