Victoria Wood Structural Engineer:
Expedition Engineering Consultancy
By Aysha Waheed.
Sydenham High School London

Extract:

Victoria says that the industry she is in still is largely a male-dominated industry, but it increasingly getting better, and for this reason, she feels it is less of an issue anymore. Employers are increasingly recognising the values of having a mixed team on board, and also the benefits of having a good working relationship with fellow colleagues. The head of the Institute for Civil Engineers (ICE) is a women, which is motivating others, especially girls and young women to come into the industry.

Interview with Victoria Wood

Victoria Wood is a Structural Engineer who works for Expedition, an engineering consultancy based in Regents Street, London, although they have undertaken projects all around the world, from Antarctica to Turin and many places in London and England. Victoria invited me to her office, where she gave me a tour, and offered to answer my questions about her work…

What or who inspired you to become a structural engineer?

Victoria’s grandfather worked in the construction industry, so she always knew about the industry. She also always liked buildings and architecture; originally she wished to pursue a career in architecture, but decided she was more inclined to a science based career than an art based one. When she found out about the jobs of structural engineers, she realised it covered all her interests, and decided that that is what she wanted to be.

What subjects did you do at school, prior to your degree?

For GCSE, Victoria took English, English Literature, Maths, the Dual Science Award, French, German, Latin, Geography and DT. For ‘A’ Level, Victoria took maths, further maths, Physics and Chemistry.

When you first decided on your career choice, did your school/family/friends all support your decision?

<Victoria first thought of being a structural engineer when she was about 14 years old. At first, many of the teachers in her school thought it an unusual choice; many of her teachers didn’t know what the career entailed. However, many of her teachers were very supportive and helped her on her way to the career of her choice.

What has been your proudest achievement so far for your, in terms of your career?

Victoria’s proudest achievement to date, she said, had to be one of the first projects she completed, a children’s play centre. She said it was very exciting going and seeing the finished product, and also seeing so many young children enjoying the new facility.

With your job, do you often get sent abroad? What’s the best place you’ve visited whilst on business?

Victoria often gets sent abroad with her company, however due to the company’s wish to remain as eco-friendly as possible, Victoria and the other engineers are mainly sent around Europe. Expedition, the engineering firm Victoria is with, has had projects in Paris, Turin, Barcelona, Greece and Prague. Victoria tells me, she likes the travelling side, going to different sites and seeing the project developing, however going abroad isn’t as glamorous as it sometimes sounds, and it can sometimes mean being stuck for hours between delayed trains or flights, and getting back very late!

Depending on the amount of work Victoria has, and how many projects are on the go at once, Victoria mainly works from 8:00 am until 5:30 pm. However, sometimes she can work beyond these times, but can then manage to have a lie-in the next day, and come in slightly later. This largely depends on the project; if there is a problem, then many contractors will want the problem sorted out, there and then.

Victoria, on the whole, works a nine day fortnight, meaning she has a day off once every two weeks, which gives her some time to relax!

Would you say you manage to maintain a healthy work/life balance? Are your hobbies very different to your job?

Victoria does keep a fairly healthy work/life balance, but she says that it can be difficult, especially when you are young and have just started out, not to be overwhelmed by tasks that everyone wants you to do. She has to be careful to manage herself, and when this happens, she finds that things are fairly in balance.

Victoria spends her spare time doing fairly different hobbies to her everyday work life; ballroom dancing and rock climbing. However, wherever she goes, she still loves looking at architecture and wondering about their internal structure…

<Being an engineer, do you have to undergo lots of Continuing Professional Development?

Continuing Professional Development is needed being a structural engineer, however, Victoria pointed out, that although an engineer such as herself needs to undergo 5/6 days a year of CPD, it often happens very naturally if you have an interest in your work and being a structural engineer. CPD can include reading around different projects and ideas you are currently dealing with, lunch time talks and meetings, courses you wish to participate in (which is usually paid by the firm) and also a large aspect of health and safety, especially important when working on site.

Is teamwork a large aspect of your job? Did you have to undergo any team building exercises?<

Teamwork is a large aspect on being a structural engineer, especially on very large scale projects. Sometimes, the teams can consist of people who you sit next to and work with everyday, sometimes they can be from different companies and also from and in different countries, making communication another important aspect.

Victoria says it is important to make sure, when working in a large team, that all tasks are done working alongside each other and to the same deadlines, also checking what other people are doing as well, to make sure that tasks aren’t duplicated, and the job is undertaken with the upmost efficiency and precision.

Have you experienced any set backs during your career so far? How did you overcome them?

One of the most frustrating setbacks is when plans have been designed for a building and finalised, after lots of input from the engineer, and then the project doesn’t go ahead and either gets put on hold or doesn’t happen at all. Victoria says it is very disappointing, but you have to look at all the other buildings and projects which have been completed and have been a big success, and then look forward to the next project to come your way!

What still motivates you in your job?

The fact that everyday for Victoria is different, and that there is a large variety in the job she does, motivates her in her job everyday. To her, everyday she faces new challenges, starting the day with a problem she doesn’t know the answer to. Then, by the end of the day she has learnt something new, which, for her, is very satisfying; this also means the project is one step closer to being completed, which is very exciting for her and her team.

Is there anything you would change about the requirements of being a structural engineer?

If Victoria could change anything about her job, then she would introduce many more practical elements to her job, more building and working on site, than mostly sitting behind a desk. She would also introduce this element into universities where structural engineering is taught, as some students can’t do basic ‘engineering’ let alone work on a full scale project. This may introduce a new mindset to the career, and prepare students better for the job ahead.

What would be the ultimate achievement for you achieve before you retire?

Before she retires, which is still a long way off (!), Victoria would like to make a mark on the world, she would like to know that something she has helped design made a positive impact on the lives of others and of the world. She would also like to see engineers get more recognition for what they do; buildings are often related to the architects which designed them, but not to the engineers that made sure everything internally was fine, and made sure the building didn’t collapse etc.

Do you still feel that engineering is mainly a male dominated occupation? What would you like to see changed in the future?

Victoria says that the industry she is in still is largely a male-dominated industry, but it increasingly getting better, and for this reason, she feels it is less of an issue anymore. Employers are increasingly recognising the values of having a mixed team on board, and also the benefits of having a good working relationship with fellow colleagues. The head of the Institute for Civil Engineers (ICE) is a women, which is motivating others, especially girls and young women to come into the industry. Educational programs raising awareness of engineering is also helping, seeing many people from other careers, who have the same qualifications become engineers.

To aspiring engineers, Victoria would say just keep asking questions about everything, be inquisitive about the buildings and places around; don’t be a bystander, always ask: ‘How are they built?’, ‘What are the different parts made of?’-never be afraid of asking too many questions!