• Question: Did you ever have second thoughts about being an engineer?

    Asked by RubyS to Abi Aspen, Blanca, Dean, Ross, Tom on 6 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Abi Aspen Glencross

      Abi Aspen Glencross answered on 6 Mar 2016:

      I actually never wanted to be an engineer until my final year at university! I found the course really challenging (I would rather be off adventuring or swimming in Bath’s humungous pool!) and struggled with the thought of working in something like oil and gas (I worked in oil and gas for a year! Lovely people though), I just wanted to change the world for the better.

      I think it can take one person (mine was my previous supervisor Marianne Ellis) and one idea (cellular agriculture supported by New Harvest) to ignite a fire within you. My final year project was on designing a system to produce cultured meat and I became and engineer overnight. I had to search for funding for a year before I started my PhD.

      I worked some really bizarre jobs while looking for PhD funding (modelling for London fashion week, giving out bottled water in King’s cross station, being a journalist at festivals) which were super fun but also made my drive to be an engineer stronger! I had purpose.

      My work now not encompasses the engineering of meat but also so much more to help regain some balance in the world through talking with people, running workshops, curating exhibitions to teach people about where there food comes from, final healthy plant based diet options and help us regain transparency in our food. I am extremely lucky and never get bored!

      I think if you follow your passions often through that you find purpose. So don’t worry if you are unsure about something. It’s great to be proactive but also go with the flow, enjoy the present and things that are meant to be will fall into place 🙂

      So ultimately yes I had seconds thoughts, but now no, in this present time I am sure this is my path!

    • Photo: Tom Bullock

      Tom Bullock answered on 6 Mar 2016:

      I’ve not had any second thoughts about doing an engineering job, or the food industry that I work in. But even if I did I wouldn’t worry because I believe its never too late to change your mind or your direction in life. One of the great things about engineering is that the skills and knowledge you learn can be transferred to almost any the type of job.

    • Photo: Dean Miles

      Dean Miles answered on 7 Mar 2016:

      I’ve never looked back, the opportunities, skills, experiences and friendships I have made through engineering roles has been everything I hoped for.

    • Photo: Ross Miller

      Ross Miller answered on 8 Mar 2016:

      I think when you first start a new job, everyone has doubts. Now that I’ve got some experience and confidence it’s hard to imagine doing anything else. I’ve found that engineering is so much more than maths and science. Some of the most important skills are planning and communicating. There’s also so many opportunities to do things like I’m An Engineer and share experiences about what it’s like being an engineer in real life.

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