What have you got in mind this year?
Healthier Lifestyle… Work harder … Lose
weight… Get a job… Get promoted… Pay rise… Make more friends? We all welcome the
New Year in our own way. We set Goals … and higher hopes and expectations just follow.
January is a funny time as some of you are very trying to focus on exams when
others are looking for opportunities to develop.
But I am taking this chance to reflect on
myself. Where I stand and how I can improve. And this time I am ready to
Be inspired and inspire others.
First of all I would like to thank Claire Gott for agreeing to give a quick
insight into her views about Engineering and what it is like to be a role model
for young engineers.
Claire is an exceptional young female
engineer who has witnessed several achievements in a very short course of time.
She graduated from the University of Southampton in year 2010 and has been
working as Graduate Structural Engineer at WSP UK. The Co-founder of the Cameroon
Catalyst has also been winner of the NCE Graduate of the year 2011, finalist of
the WISE excellence Award 2011 and IStructE Young Structural Engineer
International Design Competition 2011. She religiously contributes to the industry
as part of the Institutional board representative for IStructE and Green Construction
Board promotional working group, Imagineering, WSP Launchpad school engagement
scheme and STEMnet ambassador.
Claire Gott has all the qualities for being the role
model for the coming generation and therefore the best person to
ask all the right questions. That’s exactly what I did.
1.
With such an impressive list of achievements
– it must be had to choose but can you share what you are most proud of so far
in your life?
Helping
lead the Cameroon Catalyst team to successfully deliver the medical and
educational center in Bambouti, Cameroon in 2010 and seeing the continued
positive impact that the charity is still having on the lives of hundreds of
villagers.
2.
Most people don’t show courage to step
forward and take challenges in life. Was there anyone who encouraged you to take
the initiative or was it entirely your decision to take the part in the competitions
mentioned above?
From
the age of 16, when I helped rebuild an orphanage in Tanzania, I decided that I
wanted a career where I could make a difference and I grabbed every opportunity
presented to me to gain a better understanding of how I could achieve this.
3.
Everyone has a role model. Who do you look
up to in the industry? Who is your inspiration?
My
appointment on the Green Construction Board Promotional Working group last year
made me realise that there are a great number of role models in our industry
who are pushing the boundaries and trying to make a difference and I am
privileged to sit alongside them and learn from them.
4.
As we can see you enjoy challenges. So what
have you planned next?
I flew
out to Cameroon last August to review the last three projects that we (Cameroon
Catalyst) have constructed. I am now working alongside Architecture Sans
Frontieres who will be accompanying us to help assess the positive impact of
our contribution within Cameroon and help identify where we should focus our
efforts next.
5.
From your personal experience what do you
think are the requirements of current industry from new generation of
engineers?
It’s
not just about technical skills anymore; clients want more value for their
money, and so young engineers are learning that the development of management and
communication skills and an understanding of the commercial aspects are just as
important.
6.
How do you expect the construction industry
to change over the course of your career?
The
industry has more of a focus on exploring and applying sustainable concepts and
technologies to tackle the problems associated with energy consumption and
carbon emissions in the built environment. However, our challenge for the
future and something we must address soon is how we use and promote these
developments to achieve greater harmony between the natural and built
environments on a global scale for all parties involved.
7.
So what is your advice to our friends
currently seeking / or will be seeking an opportunity in the near future?
Make
the most of every opportunity that is thrown your way; you never know how it
may impact your career for the better, and don’t be afraid to talk about your
achievements; companies are looking for confident and passionate engineers.
It’s amazing how through
simple communication we can learn from others. I wish good luck to Claire for
her future plans and many more achievements.
Engineering is an
interesting field – we engineers are even more interesting. Creative… Always seeking
new challenges… Solving problems…
We have the ability to Engineer futures. So keep your
hopes high.
