Engineer a Career

Engineer a Career
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Welcome to The Engineer a Career Podcast, brought to you by Engineer a Career! Join us as we delve into the fascinating journeys of engineers from various fields and backgrounds. Each episode features an in-depth interview with a seasoned professional who share their personal stories, from their initial interest in engineering to their experience in education and beyond! Discover the highs and lows of their careers, the inspirations that fueled their passion, and the mentors and coaches who guided them along the way. Our guests also provide invaluable advice for anyone aspiring to pursue a career in engineering, offering insights that can help you navigate your own path to success. Whether you're a student considering engineering, a recent graduate starting out, or a professional looking to make a change, The Engineer a Career Podcast is your go-to for real-world stories and practical advice to engineer your future.

  1. Heat Networks, Chartership and Backing Young Engineers

    6d ago

    Heat Networks, Chartership and Backing Young Engineers

    Paul is an independent consultant working at the nexus of public and private heat networks, having most recently spent five years at Vattenfall and, before that, a long career at Whitby Bird and Ramboll.His route in started early, a grandfather he knew as an engineer without ever learning what he did, an uncle's stories over slabs of Irn Bru, a laser lab in Liverpool, and a week of work experience on a harbour build that showed him the scale and impact of real infrastructure. A gap-year CAD job became a general engineering degree at Cambridge, which became geotechnics almost by chance when Whitby Bird won the BBC Broadcasting House project, which eventually became energy, and then heat networks, the only thing he does now.In this episode, we explore what a non-linear engineering career actually looks like from the inside why exposure matters more than knowing exactly where you'll end up, how the mentors who gave him space to learn and fail shaped everything, and why he went from "total skeptic" of district heating to total advocate. We talk about the Scotland Heat Map he helped build, the economic case for backing young engineers early, and what it really takes to move from doing the engineering to leading the people who do it. We also get into chartership why he failed the first time, why he deserved to, and what the second attempt taught him, plus his belief that the future of heat lies in coordinated regional energy companies rather than 32 organisations repeating the same lessons.This is an honest conversation for students and early career engineers wondering how a career builds when you stay open to the pivot have a spark, keep feeding it, and be careful not to overfeed it. Connect with Paul Steen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsteen Follow Engineer a Career - LinkedIn: @engineeracareer Instagram: @engineeracareer TikTok: @engineer.a.career YouTube: @engineeracareer Website: www.engineeracareer.co.uk

    58 min
  2. Episode 50 - There's No Straight Line Into Engineering

    May 26

    Episode 50 - There's No Straight Line Into Engineering

    Episode 50. Two years, 56 guests. There's no straight line into engineering. In this milestone solo episode, recorded at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), Josh shares the four things 49 conversations have taught him about how people actually build careers in engineering, why the routes in matter far less than what you do once you're there, and why there's never been a more important time to back young people into this industry. Josh also joined by Kirsty Pinnell, who leads the internship programme at NMIS, to talk about what a real route into industry looks like in practice. ______ National Manufacturing Institute Scotland - https://www.nmis.scot NMIS Internship 2026 Programme -https://www.nmis.scot/work-with-us/careers/internship/ ______ Follow Engineer a CareerLinkedIn: @engineeracareerInstagram: @engineeracareerTikTok: @engineer.a.careerYouTube: @engineeracareerWebsite: www.engineeracareer.co.uk

    39 min
  3. Engineering, Energy and Self-Discovery

    May 19

    Engineering, Energy and Self-Discovery

    Tobias is a renewable energy engineer, founder of Embodied, and one of the most layered guests we've had on the podcast. His career has taken him from Germany to Sweden, the United States, China, Norway and now Scotland — through solar cell research at Fraunhofer, hydrogen compressor development, and into his own boutique engineering consultancy. But the most interesting part of his story isn't the geography. It's the mindset. In this conversation, Tobias and Josh get into why most jobs are never advertised, and why Tobias made a decision to never apply for a role again. They talk about the shift from negotiating for a job to laying out what you contribute, and how serendipity, openness and existing relationships have shaped every step of his career. From there the conversation moves into why "energy sovereignty" is a more useful frame than net zero, the embodied emissions hiding inside the renewables industry, and what it actually takes to bring engineering teams together around a shared cause. They close on how self-discovery, mindfulness and bio-inspired thinking are changing how Tobias designs. If you're a student or graduate engineer who's tired of the application treadmill, or an engineering leader thinking about how your teams really work, there's something in this one for you.

    48 min
  4. The Real Impact of Construction — Healthcare, Hospitals, and Purpose

    May 12

    The Real Impact of Construction — Healthcare, Hospitals, and Purpose

    Jack Chalkley joins The Engineer a Career Podcast to share what a career in construction actually looks like from the inside and how a project director gets built one project at a time.Jack is a Project Director and Scotland Healthcare Lead at AECOM, where he leads multidisciplinary delivery across some of the country's most complex social infrastructure projects. His route in wasn't planned, a builder sketching extension drawings on his parents' kitchen table sparked an interest in architecture, which became construction management at GCU, which became a trainee role at Clark Contracts running his own projects before he'd even graduated. Fifty projects later, he moved to AECOM and progressed from Project Manager to Project Director in under five years.In this episode, we explore what it really means to build a career in construction why placements change everything, how contracting sets you up for consultancy, and what it takes to lead client conversations when you're decades younger than the people in the room. We talk about the Golden Jubilee surgical centre and why healthcare projects keep him passionate, the mentors who shaped his progression, and why "be a sponge" is still his core advice years into the job. We also get into the contractor-to-consultancy shift, what good project management actually looks like, and why there's no single path through this industry.This is an honest conversation for students and early career engineers wondering what construction careers really involve and how far you can go when you stop worrying about your age and start owning the work. Follow Engineer a Career LinkedIn: @engineeracareer Instagram: @engineeracareer TikTok: @engineer.a.career YouTube: @engineeracareer Website: www.engineeracareer.co.uk

    34 min
  5. No apprenticeship. No graduate scheme. Still landed the dream job.

    May 5

    No apprenticeship. No graduate scheme. Still landed the dream job.

    Josh sat down with Josh Murchie to talk through his journey into aerospace engineering and how he ended up working at GE Aerospace Caledonian in Prestwick. What stands out about Josh's story is that it isn't a straight line. At 17, he made it to the final stage of the GE apprenticeship he'd dreamed of since doing work experience there as a school pupil and didn't get it. From there, it became a process of pivoting, applying again, and finding a different route in: a foundation apprenticeship in aeronautical engineering, a first-class degree at the University of the West of Scotland, a Master's at the University of Glasgow (the same university that had rejected him for undergrad), and eventually a direct-entry role at GE Aerospace, without going through a graduate scheme. This conversation challenges the idea that there is one route into engineering. Josh talks openly about the rejections that shaped his path, the imposter syndrome that came with each new step, and why he believes the most valuable thing his education gave him wasn't technical knowledge but the ability to think and problem solve. They also explore what a New Product Introduction Engineer actually does, the value of bringing an academic perspective into a workplace built on apprenticeship trained expertise, and why Josh believes the next few years will be the heydays of aerospace and aviation. If you've been rejected from an apprenticeship, didn't get the grades you wanted, or are questioning whether your route into engineering is the "right" one, this episode offers a different perspective on what a career in engineering can look like. There's no wrong path. Follow Engineer a Career - LinkedIn: @engineeracareerInstagram: @engineeracareerTikTok: @engineer.a.careerYouTube: @engineeracareerWebsite: www.engineeracareer.co.uk

    42 min
  6. Fail at Something to Understand It with Allan Sinclair

    Apr 28

    Fail at Something to Understand It with Allan Sinclair

    Alan Sinclair joins The Engineer a Career Podcast to share what it actually looks like to go from engineering student to graduate engineer — and what nobody really tells you about the journey in between. Alan is a Graduate Design Engineer at Vital Energy, working in building services, and is five months into his first role after completing his mechanical engineering degree at UWS. His path wasn't straightforward — covid disrupted his plans, he chose Camp America over internships, and he had no idea building services was even an option until he was already in it. In this episode, we explore what it means to find your feet in your first engineering role, why failing at things is actually how you learn, how sport built skills his degree couldn't, and what imposter syndrome feels like when you're fresh out of university and suddenly doing real work on real projects. We also talk about chartership, hydrogen, and why seeing something you helped design get built never gets old. This is an honest conversation for engineering students and graduates who are figuring out what comes next and wondering if they're ready for it. Follow Engineer a Career LinkedIn: @engineeracareer Instagram: @engineeracareer TikTok: @engineer.a.career YouTube: @engineeracareer Website: www.engineeracareer.co.uk

    28 min
  7. The First Step Into Engineering: From University to Industry | Live Podcast | University of Glasgow

    Apr 21

    The First Step Into Engineering: From University to Industry | Live Podcast | University of Glasgow

    Josh takes Engineer a Career to the University of Glasgow for a live podcast, bringing together a panel of engineers at different stages of their careers to share how they got started. From discovering engineering later than expected, to changing paths at university, to landing that first role in industry, this episode explores the real journeys behind the job titles. The panel share what sparked their interest, the decisions that shaped their careers, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. This isn’t a one-path story. It’s an honest look at the different routes into engineering, the challenges along the way, and what keeps them passionate about what they do. If you’re a student, graduate, or just figuring out your next step, this episode shows you what that first step into engineering can really look like.

    1h 2m
  8. From University to Engineering Careers: What Students Need to Know | Live Podcast | University of Edinburgh

    Apr 14

    From University to Engineering Careers: What Students Need to Know | Live Podcast | University of Edinburgh

    Josh sat down with Ivona and Ondrej at the University of Edinburgh to break down what an engineering career actually looks like after university.From their first interest in engineering to where they are now in industry, they share the real journey, the decisions, the challenges, and the moments that shaped their careers.They talk about placements, mentors, career changes, and why your degree doesn’t define where you’ll end up. There’s honest advice in here for students on building your network, managing your time, and staying open to opportunities as they come.If you’re studying engineering or thinking about your next step, this episode gives you a real insight into what happens after universitym and what it takes to build a career in engineering.

    44 min
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About

Welcome to The Engineer a Career Podcast, brought to you by Engineer a Career! Join us as we delve into the fascinating journeys of engineers from various fields and backgrounds. Each episode features an in-depth interview with a seasoned professional who share their personal stories, from their initial interest in engineering to their experience in education and beyond! Discover the highs and lows of their careers, the inspirations that fueled their passion, and the mentors and coaches who guided them along the way. Our guests also provide invaluable advice for anyone aspiring to pursue a career in engineering, offering insights that can help you navigate your own path to success. Whether you're a student considering engineering, a recent graduate starting out, or a professional looking to make a change, The Engineer a Career Podcast is your go-to for real-world stories and practical advice to engineer your future.

Information

  • Creator
    Engineer a Career
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Engineer a Career
  • Show Website
    Engineer a Career