Phoebe Erskine: Building a bright career in engineering

With the impacts of climate change ever increasing, engineers have a huge part to play in trying to both reduce and mitigate them.

How does it feel to be recognised as a supervising engineer?

I’m very proud to have been appointed to the Supervising Engineer’s Panels in Scotland, England and Wales. It’s something I’ve been actively working towards for the last six years and I’m excited about the next phase of my career.

Tell us about your ambitions to help mitigate flood risk and water resource challenges.

I chose to work in flood risk and hydraulics because I felt it was somewhere I could make positive change. With the impacts of climate change ever increasing, engineers have a huge part to play in trying to reduce and mitigate them. I’d like to see more existing infrastructure being modified and used to help mitigate flood risk and I hope I will be able to drive this in my role as a reservoir engineer.

How did you first become interested in engineering as a career?

I’ve always been interested in how things work, and I wanted to go into a career where I could apply the STEM subjects I was learning at college to the real world. I chose to study civil engineering at Heriot-Watt University, specialising in hydraulics and flood risk. I never would have guessed this would be where I ended up when I was at school, but I’m glad it is! There’s such a wide variety of projects in the dams and reservoirs sector and you get to see some amazing parts of the world. Every day is different!

Do you have any advice for young people considering a career in engineering?

Try and get some work experience – I’m sure everyone says the same, but there are so many different sectors in engineering. There’s sure to be a niche for everyone considering it as a career and work experience is a great way to find out what you are (and aren’t) interested in.

If you’re just starting out on your journey, try to build a good network and say yes to different opportunities that will push you to meet different teams. Having a good network of people (especially mentors) is key to building your knowledge and will help you achieve your goals.

Feel inspired to build your career in engineering? Discover the various opportunities to join our water and environment teams.