Case studies: Electrical systems engineer: Angela Braithwaite

Angela is an electrical systems engineer with Bombardier Transportation, a French-Canadian multinational company. She is based in Derby. Angela has a Masters in electronic and electrical engineering.

Many skills from my Masters are proving useful at work, including making contacts, agreeing work, communication and meeting deadlines.

I was attracted to the company as it is multinational, but with a large UK base. I chose a large company for the career development. The graduate programme involved moving around every six to eight months, working in different parts of the company to gain competencies for my chartered engineer status. I’ve been on several courses too, mainly in the core skills such as contracts, presentation skills and project management.

In this job, I look after trains in service, dealing with problems and making improvements at the customer’s request. I look to see what’s technically possible, make the change and write the instructions for the customer’s staff. I work to the required regulations and standards as specified in the contract, usually either British standards or the country’s own standards.

We are a team of four electrical systems engineers, working as part of a wider multidisciplinary team, which includes mechanical engineers, design technicians and safety advisors. I also work with Bombadier engineers on site at customers’ premises.

I spend a lot of my time researching, writing and doing design work on the computer although we also mark up drawings by hand. I also go on site visits and to meetings and we have telephone conferences with overseas customers. I have been to Switzerland, Austria and South Africa.

I enjoy the variety and the challenge of working on several small projects. There’s a great sense of achievement in being able to see the results in better service or better performance on the trains. The challenge is always to meet the customers’ requirements and standards in the time available, often fitting work into less than eight hours downtime overnight when the trains are not running. Space is limited on a train so we have to fit our technological solutions into small spaces. Trains are complex and some are now up to 30 years old which is another challenge. I am less keen on the bureaucracy involved in a large organisation, but that’s part of any job.

My immediate goal is chartered status and I want to develop further in this job. I am committed to a career in engineering and would like to become a lead engineer. I look forward to developing a specialism and building up a reputation within the company and the profession.

My tips for anyone considering a career as an electrical engineer would be to do your research into companies when going for interviews, as they invariably ask why you have applied for the job. Any industrial experience, however short, is invaluable and companies always look for business awareness.

AGCAS

Sourced by Susanne Christian, AGCAS

Date: 

August 2009

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