Today marks International Women in Engineering day, an opportunity to celebrate and elevate the brilliant female engineers that are driving innovation. To mark the occasion, we sat down with two of the members from our team, Holly MacDonald and Karolina Carvalho, to discuss what inspired them to become engineers and their career journeys thus far.
Tell us a bit about what inspired you to become an engineer.
HM: I was inspired to study engineering through a fascination of wanting to understand how things worked, coupled by an enjoyment of physics at school. As I progressed through my studies, I discovered the world of energy policy and decided that I would like to utilize my engineering skillset in the regulation and policy space to support the transition to Net Zero.
KC: Currently I am a Power Systems Engineer at Transmission Investment with a background in Electrical Engineering with Masters and Doctorate in Power Electronics. I have 16 years of experience in power systems studies and modelling of equipment, mainly power electronic-based ones.
To be honest, I don’t think I had a specific big inspiration or breakthrough moment. My career was built step by step with some trial and error, and learning a lot with people I worked with. The very first step was to pursue Electrical Engineering which I did based on my love of Mathematics and Physics; all the rest was based on step-by-step decisions which aligned the opportunities available with my interests and competencies. When I started my career in a less-connected world and living in another hemisphere, I never dreamed that I would get to where I am today!
What does a typical day look like for you?
HM: It depends, some days are spent in meetings with governments and regulators to discuss challenges and options to work through them, others will be spent reviewing complex technical industry code changes and assessing how they may impact our projects. A lot are spent preparing detailed responses to industry consultations, making sure to clearly articulate the companies position on what is being proposed, proposed solutions to challenges, and our views on how best to deliver to meet Net Zero goals in a secure and efficient way.
KC: It’s hard to have a typical day, but the majority of my work is to make things clear for myself, my peers, TI’s partners and sometimes even to our suppliers. I apply Electrical Engineering basis and my experience to explain events in field, to design and specify new projects, to assess technical risks in new investments and in operations of existing systems. In a fun day, I play with software tools and develop models.
Have you faced any challenges as a woman in engineering – and how did you overcome them?
HM: When I was studying Mechanical Engineering at university there was only three women in the class (of about 40 overall), and on work experience I was often in the minority. However, I was very lucky to have a great support network around me, in the form of managers and friends, who encouraged me to succeed and helped to break down biases.
KC: I didn’t have many challenges as a woman in engineering- I’ve been lucky to always work with great and supportive teams. On a few occasions, mostly at the beginning of my career, there was an excess of protection from some colleagues and managers, which I overcame by being clear about my wishes and what I would like to be involved in.
What do you love most about your job?
HM: The variety of what I can get involved with, and how much I learn from the experts and professionals around me. I see my role as a regulatory manager to be curious, and to use the expertise of others to inform and influence policies to deliver the most efficient outcomes for all interested stakeholders.
KC: As a lover of mathematics and physics, I love to get to a final answer, and I love when a model or a technical assessment is used to sort a practical problem or support a decision in field. It makes my day when all becomes clear for myself but especially for other people.
What advice would you give to young women or girls considering a career in engineering?
HM: Go for it! It’s an incredibly rewarding sector, using physics, maths, and problem-solving skills to resolve complex challenges with wide impacts. I would also really recommend seeking out industry experience to get some real-life experience of what a career in engineering is like. There are some great charities, like the Engineering Development Trust (EDT – Industrial Cadets – The Engineering Development Trust), who support young people looking to get into STEM.
KC: Wait! Does this question imply I am not a young woman? Just kidding! I would explore the areas in which engineers are working and understand the skills and experiences required to reach those roles. This can help you to identify what do you like and what you need to do to work with it. You can find so much information available in professional networking platforms. Besides that, a couple of things that I still say even to myself are: be kind, especially with yourself, you won’t be wrong if your arguments have a strong technical basis, keep an eye on the big picture, and support the team.