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About Afra Ronayne | Mechanical engineer
Afra enjoyed physics and maths in her Leaving cert and went on to study mechanical engineering in University College Dublin.
Interview
How did you go about getting your current job?
I applied for my current job after seeing an advertisement on a notice board when I was in college. I was then called for an interview and after the interview I was offered the job.
What are the main tasks and responsibilities of your job?
My main tasks and responsibilities include managing upgrade / refurbishment projects for various power plants, including carrying out site surveys, design work, preparation of specifications, tendering work and supervising work on site.
I have also been involved in areas involving new and emerging technologies like Clean Coal power plants and Carbon Capture. This has involved researching new technologies, meeting with suppliers, writing reports on the technologies and presenting the topics to colleagues and clients.
Does your job allow you to have a career you are happy with?
Yes - my job allows me to travel quite a lot. There are also a number of social activities organised by the company and there are plenty of opportunities to socialise with your colleagues
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
Apart from the three basics of English, Irish and maths, I also took German, accounting, physics and chemistry. Although physics and chemistry were not needed to get into the engineering course, it was beneficial to have them as we had to take these subjects in first year.
What kinds of work experience would provide a good background for this position?
Ideally, it would be good to get some work experience in an engineering company to understand exactly what is involved in the day-to-day job. However a good engineering company will provide training from the start, so that any type of work experience that displays your ability to work with other people and take on some level of responsibility would be beneficial.
What advice would you give someone considering this job?
I would advise somebody considering this job to talk to people working in different areas of engineering, as even when people do the same degree they can have very different day to day jobs, from full time office based jobs to full time site based jobs.
Also it is important to remember that even if you complete an engineering degree you are not limited to a purely technical career. There are plenty of other areas you can get involved in, like project management or finance.