Civil Engineer - Louise Adamson

Louise Adamson,
Age 36

Qualifications
BEng Civil Engineering

What encouraged you to join the construction industry?
I always knew I wanted to be an engineer because I liked maths and sciences at school but I never knew what sort. I began to read some careers materials and got some careers advice which led me to Civil Engineering.

What do you do day-to-day?
On a day to day basis I spend a lot of time answering queries about the projects we're working on and liaising between the contractors and those who will operating the plant/project when it's complete. Two days are never the same.

Can you give an example of any recent projects you have been working on?
I'm currently working on a £120 million water treatment project in Glasgow.

Good bits and bad bits about your job?
The good bits about my job are that I get to do lots of organising and problem solving and these are the skills I enjoy the most which helps as I have to use them everyday. I enjoy least the paperwork and red tape I have to work through but then I guess everyone gets that wherever they are!

What surprised you about the construction industry?
What surprised me the most was how much construction impacts everyone and how many people are involved in the construction of one building. Before I worked in the industry you would notice new buildings going up but never really appreciated how it affected people and the amount of work involved.

If you were to recommend your job to someone else, what would you say?
It's a challenging, varied career and one that won't allow you to get bored. You can diversify into many roles and there's lots of opportunity for you to progress.