Case studies: Engineering consultant: Dirk

Dirk, who has an MEng in Chemical and Process Engineering from UMIST, has been an engineering consultant with a small nuclear consultancy company and is now doing a PhD.

I always knew that I wanted to be an engineer. I first became interested in chemical/process engineering because I saw it as a very hands-on career that would enable me to use my interest in science. I grew up in a town where chemical engineering was all around me – I knew lots of people working in the industry so in many ways it seemed a natural choice. I was also attracted by the huge earning potential of chemical engineers!

I think I took the ideal combination of A-level subjects for chemical engineering – maths, further maths, physics and chemistry. There’s a lot of maths in the degree course, which you need to know in order to understand how the software works and to do the calculations. Also the degree is really very physics based. I opted for the MEng rather than the BEng route because I was advised it was easier in terms of the funding to transfer to a BEng if I changed my mind about the MEng rather than the opposite way round. I think it’s beneficial to take the MEng because it makes the route into chartership a lot easier than if you just have a BEng. It is also very important to make sure your chemical/process engineering course has Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) accreditation and that you do the placement year. Graduates who did my course and a placement found it much easier to get directly into the industry. They were also much more attractive to the larger graduate employers such as Shell and BNFL.

I believe my degree is highly relevant for this career – possibly one of the most relevant degrees you could do. I learned so much that was useful, including skills such as how to build a chemical reactor and an in-depth knowledge of the design process. The knowledge you need has to be obtained from doing a relevant degree. It really isn’t something you can just learn on-the-job.

On graduation, I initially decided I’d like to specialise in a field related to my degree. I chose to do an MSc in Polymer Materials Science Engineering because it sounded interesting, but it wasn’t as much fun as it first seemed and I decided to look at other engineering opportunities. I made several applications and eventually was successful in finding a job as an engineering consultant with a nuclear consultancy company. My job was very project based and involved working for some very large companies such as BNFL.

One of my projects involved arranging the safe removal of nuclear waste from one location to another – I also had to ensure the waste was converted into a format that made it easier and safer to handle. My major project entailed providing engineering support for the decommissioning of a Lithuanian nuclear power plant and I designed the plan for the decommissioning process to be put into action.

The thing I most enjoyed about my job was the feeling that your work had a major impact on something and would continue to have an impact in years to come. I really didn’t enjoy the travelling you have to do as a consultant and the fact that your clients can be very demanding. Since leaving my job, I’ve started a PhD and am now putting my love of maths and problem solving to good use in my post as a university statistical officer.