Infrastructure Engineer - Alison Rogerson

Alison Rogerson,
Age 30

Qualifications
BENG Hons Civil Engineering

What encouraged you to join the construction industry?
I think it was the variety of work within the industry that appealed to me. I was given fantastic support during my schooling from careers advisors; I was good at Engineering and Technology at school. I was lucky that they were able to put me in touch with the right people.

What do you do day-to-day?
I'm basically a bridge designer, so that involves the design of new bridges, inspections, assessments, refurbishment and replacement of existing bridges. I work mainly on the railway infrastructure, but also on the highways.

Can you give an example of any recent projects you have been working on?
The most recent project I've been working on is the outline designs for the platforms of the Dockland Light Railways extension. We don't know yet if we'll win the contract to take the project through into the detailed design stage, but I know that what I've worked on will be built.

The current project I'm working on is the Structures Assessment Contract for Network Rail London North Eastern Region. This involves the inspection and assessment rail bridges. Often at night - even Saturdays! As these are the only times that they can shut down the railways for us to do our work, so I'm out and about a lot, but it's not always at the most sociable hour!

What surprised you about the construction industry?
The amount of different professions that make up the industry and the naivety of other when you tell them what you do. When you say construction so many people imagine bricklayers and scaffolders, but there's so much more to it than that. From the project planning stage to construction involves so many professional and skilled people.

If you were to recommend your job to someone else, what would you say?
I'd say it's a good job to have if you're prepared to be an all rounder. There's a clear and defined career path, and it's very rewarding if you put the effort in. The variety also means you'll never get bored, you have to wear so many different hats from client liaison, to technical, and finance and even current affairs effects what we do.