CAO students considering engineering careers receive invaluable insights from two recently graduated engineers navigating their transition from college to professional world through real experiences spanning pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality assurance, international project work, and leadership development.
Jennifer Smith, Manufacturing Operations Engineer at AbbVie and Denis Hardi, Graduate Commissioning Engineer at H&MV share their expertise spanning manufacturing operations optimisation, quality assurance commissioning work, international project delivery from Norway to Finland, and professional society leadership, discussion covers leaving cert decision-making without knowing exact career path, four-year degree timeline for discovering preferences through internships, problem-solving as both most beautiful and most frustrating aspect of engineering, work-life balance setting boundaries whilst being compensated for extra hours, ambition progression through rotational programmes and online certificates demonstrating extra mile commitment, stereotypes not holding back women in mechanical engineering with 12 girls out of 98 increasing representation, and why attending events related to interests helps discover community curiosity before making decisions about future engineering careers.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
● Internships shaping careers through pharmaceutical supply, precision engineering, civil engineering, material science hands-on experience discovering preferences
● Engineering degree flexibility enables pharmaceutical, automotive, medical device, aerospace careers with curious minds shaping any industry choice
● Networking through Engineers Ireland Young Engineers Society providing leadership opportunities professional connections across counties and internationally
● STEM subjects important but curiosity resilience matter more than loving mathematics with problem-solving training multiple solution approaches
● Graduate rotational programmes offer quality global roles multiple facilities whilst work-life balance requires setting boundaries with compensation
QUOTES
● "Opportunities are really limitless with an engineering degree. So I think for anyone with a curious mind of a curious nature, you can kind of shape your career to be any sort of industry you want." - Jennifer Smith
● "I'm actually based in Finland now on site working on this project, substation, electrical substation for the data centre here in Kouvola, just two hour drive from Helsinki. I was in Norway before this project for 20 weeks and just fresh in Finland at the moment trying to get this project across the line. Who knows where I'm going to be in a few months. I had a lot of internships around Ireland when I was studying but I never expected that I'll be staying in one company and then travelling around the world for a few months. It is a rich experience to say at least." - Denis Hardi
● "I think internships will really shape the way you can kind of take your career. I did an internship with a pharmaceutical manufacturing supply company, one with a precision engineering company that manufactured stainless steel components, one with a civil engineering company, and one with a wire drawing in material science environment. Those were very different. Going into a civil engineering company I was in their mechanical team but I kind of got a taste for what silverworks was like and kind of knew then what I did and didn't want to do. From those internships you kind of realise what appeals to you and what maybe you find interesting but maybe isn't for you long term. So I think getting internships while you're at university is a great way to then have a better idea of what you want to do once you finish college." Jennifer Smith
● " Internships give you rich experience showing whatever you're studying in college might or might not be applicable to what you're going to be doing one day. First year I did combined heat and power in containers with engines producing heat and electricity for hospitals and hotels. Second year I went into on semi company in Limerick doing three months in chips where manufacturing was done in another country, they would send it back and we would do calibration, diagnostics. Then I went to Cork, to Tyndall National Institute in research and development in photonics which is basically transferring data with light so there's no copper loss of heat, pretty good for data centres. Third year co-op placement I did it in analogue devices in technical sales, part of team talking with clients trying to see if they have an issue what system are they looking for in power electronics. So it did give me idea how is it to work on site and in the lab as well." - Denis Hardi
TRANSCRIPTION
For your convenience here is an AI transcription
Dusty Rhodes 0:19
Hi, there, my name is Dusty Rhodes. And you welcome to AMPLIFIED the Engineers Journal Podcast and the very first in a special mini series we're calling An Engineer Like Me. Over three episodes, we're going to be focusing on the critical transition from college to the professional world, and giving you a real world perspective. Should you be considering or you're just entering the world of engineering, we're going to be tackling essential questions about what the first month on the job truly feels like, how to bridge the gap between academic theory and industry, and why proactive involvement in societies and awards can accelerate your career. To start with, we're joined by two exceptional young engineers, Jennifer Smith, a Manufacturing Operations Engineer at AbbVie. And Denis Hardi, a Graduate Commissioning Engineer at H&MV. Hi, Jennifer and Denis, how are you?
Jennifer Smith 1:09
Hi, Dusty. How are you getting on? How you doing? Denis, good.
Denis Hardi 1:12
Hello from Finland.
Dusty Rhodes 1:13
So, Dennis, let me start off then and say as one of our fresh new engineers, why are you in Finland.
Denis Hardi 1:20
Oh, good question. Thank you very much. So yeah, I'm actually based in Finland now on site, working on this project, substation, electrical substation for the data centre here in kuwala place. So it's just two hour drive from Helsinki. So yeah, I was actually all around Europe before this so I was in Norway before this project for like 20 weeks, and just fresh in Finland at the moment and trying to get this project across the line. So who knows where I'm going to be in a few months. You know how it is.
Dusty Rhodes 1:53
Did you expect to be saying things like, who knows where I'll be in two months time when you got into engineering?
Denis Hardi 2:00
Definitely not, definitely not. No. Well, I had a lot of internships around Ireland when I was studying my Bachelor's race, and it was travelling around Ireland. But I've seen opportunities, you know, for renewable energy, what I studied, you know, in different countries, but I never experienced actually, that I'll be staying in one company and then travelling around the world for a few months, you know? So it is a rich experience to say at least,
Dusty Rhodes 2:27
give me a little bit about your background and about your connection to Ireland. Did you grow up here or fill me in?
Denis Hardi 2:33
Oh, yeah. Well, my background comes from actually, Croatia, right? I've been living there for 19 years and then moved to Island to work a bit. I did not know if I'm gonna stay there permanently or not. I say there because, as we speak, I'm in Finland, right? So yeah, I was in Waterford at the beginning, and then moved to Limerick, right? And then went back to Waterford just before I actually was sent to work abroad. So, yeah, few different places around Ireland. I was in Cork as well during my summer internship, so I explored Ireland a bit. But here we are now outside of Ireland and outside of European Union a few weeks ago. So I did not expect to be so much outside the country. I love the experience. But yeah, I suppose with the international background comes international experience,
Dusty Rhodes 3:24
right? So Jennifer, tell us a little bit about what you do?
Jennifer Smith 3:27
So I'm a Manufacturing Operations Engineer in AbbVie, so they're a bio pharmaceuticals company, and I'm based in their North Dublin facility at the moment. So they make, so it's an oral, solid dosage plant, so they make tablets in this facility,
Dusty Rhodes 3:43
an oral, solid dosage. Yes, you mean a pill? So tablets? Yeah, pills and capsules. So,
Dusty Rhodes 3:49
Very good. Okay, I've never heard it described it like that. That's a very engineering way. It's a very engineering way of saying it. So listen, tell me what kind of problems then do you have to solve in your job?
Jennifer Smith 3:59
So we have to, there's a lot of obviously, because it's pharmaceuticals and people are consuming it, and it's for medicinal purposes, we've to be very conscious of the quality going through the factory and make sure that we're complying with all the regulations, and when those change, that we adapt to those and then making sure that we've we optimise The processes to get the best throughput to our patients.
Dusty Rhodes 4:22
And why did you get into that particular part of engineering? Jennifer?
Jennifer Smith 4:26
So I internship. I did a couple of internships while I was in university. One of those was with a pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment supply company, so that was probably my favourite out of the four internships that I did. So when I was in that internship, I got exposure. So they were supplying equipment to different sites, such as AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Kerry group. So I got experience on site, and I loved being in and around the pharmaceutical stratosphere. So I knew when I finished college I wanted to explore a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
Dusty Rhodes 5:00
How does the internship work? Because Denis mentioned it. I'm going to ask him about this as well in a second. But how does that what it sounds like you're kind of given like, you know, a little taste of all these different types of engineering, and then you can choose your favourite.
Jennifer Smith 5:12
Yeah, I think it's really important. I think internships will really shape the way you can kind of take your career. Because I did an internship with a pharmaceutical manufacturing supply company. I did one with a precision engineering company that manufactured stainless steel components. I did one with a civil engineering company, and I did one with a wire drawing in like material science environment as well. So those were very different, even, like my degree, my background is in mechanical engineering, and going into a civil engineering company, I was in their mechanical team, but I kind of got a taste for what silver works was like, and I kind of knew then what I did and didn't want to do. From those internships, you kind of realise what appeals to you and what maybe you find interesting, but maybe isn't for you long term. So I think getting internships while you're at university is a great way to then have a better idea of what you want to do once you finish college.
Dusty Rhodes 6:03
Denis, you mentioned that you did some internships as well. How did it work for you?
Denis Hardi 6:07
Oh yeah, I would absolutely agree with Jennifer there on almost every point. Yeah, internships give you rich experience, right? But also example that whatever you're studying in college, right? It might or might not be applicable to what you're going to be doing one day, right? And from there, you're going to get understanding of, okay, this is something that I'm really interested in. What is this about? And can what can I apply what I learned so far? So basically, at the first year during the summer, I had basically summer internship, which actually lasted for six months, actually transferred a bit during my college period as well, because there's some still documentation that I could have been working on. So I did combine heat and power and containers with engines, you know, basically like a backup power by gas, they would produce heat and electricity and so on for hospitals, hotels and so on. So that was, you know, rich experience coming from the, you know, renewable energy and electrical engineering background in the second year that was, you know, interesting experience as well. Because then I said, okay, so that was a bit, you know, kind of high voltage systems. Let's go into the low voltage system. So I went into the on semi company, right on semi, in numeric where I was studying. I did three months, there was a three months, two and a half, three months there in like a chips, right? So basically, manufacturing was done in another country. They would send it back here, and we would do calibration, right diagnostics, and so on. So that was, you know, interesting to see, how does that work, you know, and apply a bit of mathematics into it and process improvement, as Jennifer mentioned there as well. Then from there, I went to Cork, right? So I went to Tyndall National Institute in a researcher, research and development department there in photonics. So that was then, let's say, kind of closely related to electronics, but not as much as electrical engineering, because there was photonics, right, which means basically you're transferring data with light, right? So you there's no copper kind of loss of, you know, heat and so on. So it's a bit more optimal kind of energy transition, which is pretty good for data centres and so on. So that was during my second year summer, and then third year cop placement. I did it in analogue devices, in a technical sales, right? So basically, I was part of the team which was talking with clients, and, you know, trying to see, okay, if they have an issue, what actually system are they're looking for, you know, in power, power, actually systems, electronics. So I did a bit of electronics, and I did a bit of, like, a, you know, solar panels and this combined heat and engine power. So it did give me idea, basically, how is it to work on site and in the lab as well. So here I am on site now, actually liking this
Dusty Rhodes 8:52
Excellent and Jennifer, would you say when you were interning, you were getting very much hands on experience as well?
Jennifer Smith 8:57
Definitely, and I think that's probably the best way to learn, to apply what you're learning in university in a real world situation, because you can hear all of these concepts on paper and do exams on them, but until you see them in practice, it will really stick. And I think they really stands to going from especially changing internship location to No, not staying with the same company, but changing, maybe every summer, to a different company, because you're going to see it from a going to see it from a different perspective, and you're going to see maybe a new approach. And I think that's great experience, then to have on your CV, going to look for a graduate job since you finished college,
Dusty Rhodes 9:32
and it's great for you as well, because you're meeting new people and having new experiences in new places and everything. It's very exciting. 100% engineering is a huge field. I mean, it's just one word, but I mean it covers so much. I mean, Jennifer, how do you explain to people just how big engineering is?
Jennifer Smith 9:49
I think it's really difficult. And I think especially with mechanical engineering, when you consider my class and the different types of roles we've all come out of university, and I'm in the pharmaceutical industry, I. I know people in the automotive industry, people who are in kind of medical device industry with a mechanical engineering degree. So it's so it's so broad, and you'll have people going into aerospace like the opportunities are really limitless with an engineering degree. So I think for anyone with a curious mind and of a curious nature, you can kind of shape your career to to be any sort of industry you want, so you're not shoehorned into a specific category. So it is really great.
Dusty Rhodes 10:29
So if somebody is listening to this at the moment and they're just facing the Leaving Cert and they're making these big, big decisions about college and stuff like that, and engineering just looks a wee bit too big, what kind of advice would you have for them?
Jennifer Smith 10:41
Oh, man, I think, I think if you, if you're of a curious nature, and you like STEM subjects, or you like your maths and your physics and that type of genre, your chemistries, I think engineering is really good. I think it can be what you want it to be. And I think don't be afraid of knowing exactly what you want to be career wise when you're doing your leaving. So you have four or five years in your degree to work on that, to decide to get internships, to see what you do and don't like. So I think don't be afraid of it, because it's this massive, it's this massive field. But I wouldn't be afraid. I wouldn't let that put you off, and I wouldn't be afraid of that.
Dusty Rhodes 11:19
So if you're the kind of person who gets a kick out of figuring out a problem and fixing it. Engineering is definitely something, I think. So, yes, definitely. And you never know where you're going to end up, because Dennis is in Finland. Yes, he's from Croatia. He studied in Limerick. Was it Denis?
Denis Hardi 11:34
Yep, exactly, exactly it. I don't how to even describe it, you know, like, how did I even end up in Finland?
Dusty Rhodes 11:38
I I heard a great phrase from somebody, and when I think about all, all of the people that I know in my career and that I have met the it's true. And the phrase is, where you start is not where you end up. It's true for everybody. So it's just stages. You start this, and then you just go on adventure after adventure after adventure. God knows where you're going to be in whatever 20 years time. So just have fun and enjoy yourself like the pair of you are at the moment. Jennifer, you mentioned STEM skills. How important are the STEM subjects at school for engineering?
Jennifer Smith 12:16
I think from a university perspective, I think going from leaving cert to university for a mechanical engineering degree. I think definitely strong math skills are definitely important. Like in terms of modules for I didn't study chemistry in my leaving cert, but we had chemistry modules at university, but it was kind of taught in first year to a quick version of the Leaving Cert. So and I took physics, so those who studied chemistry were able to, you know, give me a hand and show me some chemistry tips and tricks. And I had physics tips and tricks that I was able to share with those who do chemistry, who might have done physics. So everybody helps each other in college. So I wouldn't let it put you off if you don't have these extra subjects.
Dusty Rhodes 12:59
Dennis, would you agree that, you know, kind of like, STEM is important, but it's not everything.
Denis Hardi 13:05
Yes, I would say, I would say, so, yeah, the thing is, I've been with engineers island for a while, right? And we've done this promotion in on open days and so on, in universities, in in, you know, visits to their companies, and also through this, like a young engineering societies and stuff like that, basically, right? And when you interact with young people, right, they always say, you know, I'm not really good at maths, you know, I'm not really good at physics. And I'm like, it doesn't really matter, you know, if you, you know, keep pushing right, that's, you know, you might not even need it eventually, you know, you will need it in university and so on. But later on, it's not like, Oh, if you don't really love, love maths or physics, you're not going to end up in engineering, you will. You know, there's so many like engineers around that, you know, you learn as you go, you know. And application for the math that you learned in secondary might be, you know, most likely the math that you're going to be using on sites and so on. You know, it's mostly Excel sheets, formulas and stuff like that that we are using a lot like, you know, believe it or not, you know, you don't really do calculations yourself. You just get, you know, chat GPD to do it for you. You get Excel to do it for you. You do calculations in the software that calculates things for you. You know, whether you're designing like some electrical engineering plants or something like that. It calculates, literally, okay, you need this. You need that. You need that, you know, so it's, it's more, I would say, as Jennifer mentioned, as well, it's more like a curiosity. Is what you need, right? Resilience, right? Don't give up, you know, if you fail, keep going right? And also, you know, try to see if I cannot do it one way, is there another way? Like that's why I like maths. I don't love it. I must say that I don't love math. Not my favourite physics. It's interesting because it's more kind of hands on thing, at least in my how my brain works for it. But you. Know, you don't have to love maths, but you need to see that, okay, there's multiple ways to get to the solution, right? So that's what people need to remember. You know, it's not all about, oh, if you don't love maths, engineering is not for you. Or if you don't love stem, keep going, you know, and you will learn as you go.
Dusty Rhodes 15:16
One of my favourite interviews on this podcast was with a lady who's now a CEO of her own company. And I asked her, How did she get into engineering? And she said she saw a guy working on a bridge driving a really nice car, and she went, ooh, what does he do? That's why she got into engineering. But that's that. That's my point. Is there's all this kind of emphasis on STEM and you have to be a walking brain and numbers and all kind
Jennifer Smith 15:42
of to agree, you have to, you know, you have to definitely have an affinity for, you know, yes, for math and for science,
Dusty Rhodes 15:50
But you don't have to be Einstein.
Jennifer Smith 15:51
No, you don't have to be Einstein. And problem solving and kind of being willing to look at a problem and think about all the different ways you could approach it, you know, not necessarily the most obvious way might necessarily be the best way. So and I think what Denis said was true as well. With you learn so much on the job and every because engineering so broad, it's hard to teach you exactly what you need to know at university, because everyone in your class is going to be going into a different role. So a lot of the training you get will be on the job, and that will really be what stands to you.
Dusty Rhodes 16:26
Let me ask both of you. I'll start with Denis on this kind of getting away from the college side of things to getting a job, right? The one thing that I hear over and over is, there's not enough engineers. We need more engineers. We have to get more engineers into the system. Did both of you find getting a job easy? Denis,
Denis Hardi 16:47
that's a good question. Actually, I would say easy enough. Yeah. You know, I had a few different internships, and I think that boosted kind of my LinkedIn or CV. You know, that boosted it for sure. I was also proactive in some volunteering groups, a bit of leadership experience previously, and so on. So, you know, that boosts as well. And communication. Communication is the key, you know, engineering, yeah, yeah. If you have any, you know, send me an email and I'll recommend them to the HR, no problem. You know, we need engineers in every sector. I would say, um, so as you know yourself, like I studied in Limerick, right? And Limerick was a few years ago, like one of the top five cities for the direct foreign investment, for the growth, you know, so companies were expanding, companies are still expanding. Cork, you know, for their pharmaceutical, you know, very known. And you know, Dublin for business and all other sectors, of course, you know. So, you know, the country has good kind of incentive on this taxes, right? So that's why companies are coming in. And as companies are coming in, someone needs to do things, not, not necessarily manufacture, right? But maybe design, maybe, you know, try to optimise, try to, you know, have some more sustainable approach. So there's a lot of new engineers, for example, in the last few years, even through engineers Ireland, we can see a new charter ships right charted, renewable engineer and so on.
Dusty Rhodes 18:13
Jennifer, can I ask you the same question, then, do you find it easy getting a job? Is there lots of choice out there for you?
Jennifer Smith 18:18
I think there's so much choice. I think with engineering Ireland, there is so many companies investing in Ireland. Ireland has, I think is at 13 of the top 15 pharmaceutical companies. So for me, there was so much choice for going into the pharmaceutical industry. But there's a lot of major medical device companies here as well, and there's loads of civil works and other industries that are throwing opportunities at engineers. So I think going to career fairs at your university is so important. I think that's a great way networking is I think the way that most people will successfully find their jobs being on LinkedIn, if you're looking there's a particular role you're looking for, maybe getting in touch with the people in the year ahead of you that might have gone into that industry. Asking them how they got their role, or who's HR in the company they're working for. Do you know, be proactive about getting your role, and then I think, you know, no job is going to fall into your lap. I think you have to. You do have to be proactive and put yourself out there. But the job, the jobs are there. Definitely, when
Dusty Rhodes 19:21
it comes to networking, it's a big, scary world. When you're just starting out in university, or you finish up in secondary school, tell me if you agree with this. I eventually discover that networking is about people you've met, not people you know. Well, just people you've met,
Jennifer Smith 19:35
People you've met. You don't have to be best friends with everybody, but making sure people know you're out there, making sure people know that you're trying, that you're looking for opportunities. People are delighted to give people opportunities, because we were all starting off once too. Everybody had to start somewhere, even people who are at the very top of the food chain, who are CEOs, who are HR managers, and all the rest that everybody had to start somewhere. And everybody had. To rely on somebody else giving them a chance and giving them an opportunity, and people are delighted to give college students internships because they want to see growth and they want to hopefully see you come back to them.
Dusty Rhodes 20:12
Denis, Jennifer, I've got a tough question for you, but I'll make it easy with just asking for a yes or no answer. All right, in your experience for yourselves, Dennis, is engineering a well paid job?
Denis Hardi 20:23
I would say. So.
Dusty Rhodes 20:26
Jennifer, yes,
Jennifer Smith 20:28
I'm not complaining.
Dusty Rhodes 20:30
The next thing I was going to ask you about was when you're transitioning from college, because college is all about theory and internships is great, you get hands on experience. But then when you're actually in a job, and all of a sudden you have a title and you've responsibility, one of the things that you have to, or give me an example of one big thing that you had to learn, like really fast in the job that you weren't expecting, Jennifer?
Jennifer Smith 20:58
I'm trying to think, I think liaising with people, and being given, being trusted with a project, and being kind of expected, you know, being given some instruction, and then kind of been expected to go off and do it yourself. In college, you're given these very kind of predefined instructions and these predefined rules. When you get into the world of work, things can't be as set in stone as they would be in university, so that you have to be able to use your own initiative and to be able to again, problem solve, think about how you're going to complete a project, start to finish. So I think definitely the kind of flexibility that's available is very different to get used to.
Dusty Rhodes 21:37
And Denis, for you, what did you have to learn really fast on the job that you didn't pick up in college.
Denis Hardi 21:42
One thing that comes to my mind, actually now, is to, you know, chase people. You know, people are busy. Everyone is busy. And you're new to the rule. So, you know, Chase chase people for answers, try not to just send emails, but rather go on a call and see what is the best approach to get what you're looking for, you know, a communication in one way or another. You know,
Dusty Rhodes 22:06
Have you had an experience, Denis, where you're starting out and you're kind of going, I can't ask that. That's a stupid question. And then you did ask the question, what happened?
Denis Hardi 22:15
Yeah, yeah, that happens, you know, like, but I try to always, you know, it's, it is that there is a truth behind like, it's, it's always easier to ask someone who is closer to your role than you know, like, let's say manager, someone you always ask colleague or someone your similar age, or something like that. So that helps with approach, of course. Yeah.
Dusty Rhodes 22:36
Tell me about the other side, because engineering sounds like the most amazing career in the world on the other side of it, then what's the hardest and most frustrating parts of being an engineer? Denis?
Denis Hardi 22:48
That's a good question. I suppose sometimes the stress of you know, you want to get project across the line, for example, and it's not just you who needs to do things right? It's, there's, there's a lot of, let's say, strings in a wheel, you know, that would help to turn this wheel. So sometimes the parts won't arrive on time, you know. Sometimes, for example, with the travelling across multiple countries here in Europe, you know, there's different national regulations, there's different quality, you know. So sometimes it's not like, as you initially imagined that things would go smooth, you know. So I would say that would be the kind of the tougher thing. But, you know, with people who are from there, from that country and so on, they would exchange those experiences, yeah,
Dusty Rhodes 23:35
cool. And for you, Jennifer, what's the hardest or most frustrating parts of engineering? I
Jennifer Smith 23:39
I think while one of the most amazing things about engineering is problem solving, I think sometimes that's the most frustrating part as well. Is when you're looking at a problem and you're trying to figure out what the best solution is, because you'll have loads of ideas, but sometimes you'll get a little bit down the way with one, and then you'll be like, Oh, we can't do that because of this, or we can't do that because of that. So problem solving, I think, can be the most frustrating part, even though it can be the most beautiful part of engineering.
Dusty Rhodes 24:09
Denis, would you have an example of kind of a tough project or a problem that you had to encounter and you went, whoa?
Denis Hardi 24:10
Yeah. Well, you know, from thinking on my feet now quickly as I was working in Norway, actually, right on this project, which I cannot discuss, you know, due to NDAs and stuff like that, of course. But you know, a few things that we ran into there was just the difference, you know, how things are done in one country compared to other, you know, that's something that, you know, was frustrating. Oh, we don't do it here like that, you know. Or actually we need to do it like that, because it's per the national regulations and so on. And you know, there's few other things, you know, similar to that, because in Norway was a bit different role than what I'm doing now in Finland, you know, I am commissioning engineer in this project, and I was like an equality on the previous project. So basically, in the previous project, you really need to make sure that things are as they should be, right and are they company. Standards? Are they national standards? Are they client standards, you know? So like keeping kind of you don't want to really show, okay, this is our final product. Show it to the client. If you know, all these other criterias are not met. So, you know, that was kind of frustrating. Okay, you know, who should I ask about these informations and so on? So, just kind of ensuring that things are as they should be without having answer to it gotcha, you know, would be, you know, you're not sure, should I ask this question or not? You know, because you're not asking your colleagues, you're now going to clients and so on. So that was a bit tough, but, um, we figured it out.
Dusty Rhodes 25:36
Jennifer, Denis, let me ask you both about the work life balance, because often, when you're thrown in on a new company, everything gets landed on your desk. Let the kid do it. What's your experience? Denis, with work life balance?
Denis Hardi 25:50
That's a That's a good one. That's a good one that I'm not sure now, if it would be how I imagined at the beginning, you know, at the beginning I started working in the office, and it was good, you know, you'll finish up with your, you know, half, half, four or five o'clock, you know, and you're done. But when you're on site, it's a bit different. You know, there is few things are coming late to the site, a few things you need to really, you know, catch up, because we have certain deadlines and so on. You are compensated for all of that time, right? I'm happy for that, but, like, sometimes, you know, that piles up, you know. But, you know, luckily, the company has a good, you know, incentives and so on, to kind of compensate for all that kind of time invested. So I think there, there is a balance, but it's you need to be self respectful, and you need to put your some limits, you know.
Dusty Rhodes 26:39
And the balance is almost kind of there, because, as you said, you were working in an office for a period where it was nice and regular, and then when you're actually on site, yeah, I would imagine it's all encompassing. What else are you going to do in Finland when you're two hours north of the Arctic Circle? What about for you? Jennifer, because you're kind of just north Dublin, kind of more regular scenario. What's the work life balance for you?
Jennifer Smith 27:00
So I think because I'm in manufacturing, so I'm kind of split between being in the office and then having to go and be in and around the floor in production. There are going to be days where you're going to have to stay late and put in those extra couple of hours to get a project over the line. And that's just inherent in engineering. But again, you are rewarded, you know, appropriately for such and like, if you enjoy your job, you don't mind an extra hour or two. But I think, as Dennis said, it's very important to set boundaries sometimes, and don't, you know, make sure that you're looking after yourself, because at the end of the day, if you're burnt out and stretched too thin, you won't be able to show up at work for your regular hours alone, an hour or two extra here and there when it's needed. But I think companies are very accommodating. Like there was a, you know, there's times where I've had to stay late to get things over the line, but I'm leaving. I have so said. I've had to leave on time today because I graduate tomorrow, so I need to get back to Galway. So again, when you when you do work for them, they'll work backwards for you. So I think everybody looks after each other at work, so I wouldn't be too afraid of not having a very healthy balance.
Dusty Rhodes 28:07
Tell me about ambition and moving up the ladder. Are there things in place in the companies that you work with where there's a process you can go through, or mentorship programmes?
Jennifer Smith 28:18
Jennifer, so in AbbVie, I'm on a rotational programme. So every year, for the first three years, I'll rotate job position and job location. So they've got five sites in Ireland. So my first rotation is here in Dublin, in manufacturing. So I could be in a quality role. I could be in a global role. Next year, I could be in Sligo. I could be in Cork, Westport. The kind of possibilities are very varied, but they run that programme so that you can get a really broad understanding of production. And AbbVie, how different pharmaceutical lines run to allow you that kind of help to get experience dealing with people, dealing with maybe the financial aspects of budgets, dealing with timelines, dealing with production. So it's in AbbVie they really look after making sure people have a broad experience so that you can grow and professionally develop like they sent us to Chicago two weeks ago for a conference, so that all of the graduates could meet each other across operations, across the finance programme, across marketing. So in AbbVie, the opportunities for networking and for professional growth are really amazing.
Dusty Rhodes 29:22
Denis, I'm guessing it's something similar with yourself, because you've mentioned you've been working in several different locations. Can I ask you about engineers Ireland? Because that is kind of like a support group for for engineers. How have you found or have you even found it useful?
Denis Hardi 29:37
Yeah, absolutely. Thanks. Yes. Similar to Jennifer in relation to the, you know, progression, yes, of course, there's incentives. And, you know, I also try to do in the evenings, in my own free time, you know, just some kind of online courses, you know, that might help out eventually, you know, and that might, you know, teach me a thing or two. So it's, it's not just what company gives you. It's also like, you know, it's learning. Never stops, right? So I would also suggest for people, you know, in their early career, to give it extra mile, if possible, you know, in the evenings or something like that, and achieve some certificate. So, you know, company recognises that actually, oh, it's not just that, you know, they wrap up their work and they go home. You know, no matter if you work 11, 12, hours, you know, there's extra mile that you put in that no one asked you for right? So, but in relation to engineers Island, yeah, absolutely, I have found it useful. I've been member, actually, since 2021, so I was basically involved during the covid times because I was looking for a kind of community for engineers, and I found one through, you know, Engineers island. So basically integration, you know, as I'm Croatian as well, you know, into the, you know, Irish community for true volunteering and stuff like that. So, yeah, there's these young engineering societies, you know, where the youth kind of comes together, organises some events, and they're also part of, like, a senior committee in the region. So you get to know regional senior professionals, some of them you might be working with, but you're not even aware that they are part of this, like, a committee, which happened, which is amazing, yeah. And then there's also, like, you know, National Young engineering societies. You know where, like, you go for a Christmas party to Dublin, who you you know, you never know who you're going to meet there, right? And they're organised by young engineers. And there's young engineers coming from Galway, from Waterford, from alamel and so on. So I met, you know, brilliant engineers across, you know, the country, who I still, you know, am in touch with, just because I went to some event that engineers Island invited me to. And it gives you good leadership experience as well, if you're interested in that, you know, where I actually ended up leading those small groups, you know, organising those events and, you know, and then through Engineers Island, I found out that there's European kind of scale, you know, organisation for young engineers. So, you know, a bit more international travelling, of course.
Dusty Rhodes 31:56
And Jennifer, how did you find Engineers Ireland was useful to you?
Jennifer Smith 31:59
I think so. So I was a student ambassador for Engineers Ireland back when I was in second year of college, and I think that gave me the opportunity to plan events get network with those in engineers Ireland, and that gives you huge visibility. So I organised a pub quiz and talks as part of my experience as an ambassador. So those are soft skills that help you when you're looking for jobs, that you know they can see that you were organising events, that you're not shy, that you're very comfortable speaking. And that goes a long way when you're gives you something to talk about, an interview that sets you apart from maybe the rest of your peers. And that kind of again, piggybacking off what Denis said, that you don't just finish and wrap up your work and do nothing else that you're being proactive about, kind of getting involved in engineering,
Dusty Rhodes 32:49
but it seems to be the kind of industry where you just enjoy it and you're surrounded by people who think like you and enjoy the same things as you. So it's very easy to get on with people. Let me wrap up our conversation today. I'm going to imagine that the person who's listening to our podcast and ear wigging on our conversation is going, hmm, engineering sounds good. I think I'm going to go for this. What one piece of advice would you give to somebody who's thinking positively about engineering, about getting into it?
Jennifer Smith 33:20
I think, especially for any young girls considering a career in engineering, I wouldn't let stereotypes hold you back. There won't be a huge amount of women in the field, especially in mechanical engineering. I think there are 12 girls out of a class of 98 so we, you know, 10% give or take which is, which is small, a small cohort of female engineers. But I wouldn't let that hold you back. When you go into the world of work, there will be more, and we see the number increasing the whole time. But I wouldn't, don't be afraid to get involved and put yourself out there cool.
Dusty Rhodes 33:54
And Denis?
Denis Hardi 33:54
tent conference, right? That kind of innovation that there is in that kind of branch, or something like that, right? So there is, you know, if you're interested in law, if you're interested in engineering, if you're interested in any type, right? And try to find some events related to that, right? You don't have to make decision, or I need to, I need to do that because, you know, I attended so many events. No, you know, just try to see how do you feel in that community. You know, Is there things that you're curious about, because it's all about your curiosity, right? I hope that you know, everyone is curious about something in the world, right? Like I used to spend hours and hours on YouTube watching, you know, real engineering videos, and they compact all these kind of conferences, let's say, kind of presentations in such a like 510 minutes video where they explain what is inside, that kind of thing. And that's what actually, you know, got me into engineering. I even when I was younger, like I used to, you know, just get a screwdriver open that toy, you know, just to see, like, what is inside. How does it work, you know. So I would say it never stopped being curious. That's, that's my angle here,
Dusty Rhodes 34:59
The pair of you make engineering sound very exciting, and I know from experience that it is. And lots of travel, Denis has told the NDAs, it's a huge amount of variety in there. All you need, really, is to be someone who likes solving problems, to get involved. It's fantastic. Let me thank both of you to learn more about Jennifer and Denis's work, you can check out links to their profiles and the Engineers. Ireland, Young Engineers Society in the description area of this podcast. But for now, Jennifer Smith, Manufacturing Operations Engineer at AbbVie and Denis Hardi, Graduate Commissioning Engineer at H&MV. Thank you both so much for sharing your graduate experience with us.
Jennifer Smith 35:36
Thanks for having us.
Denis Hardi 35:37
Thank you.
Dusty Rhodes 35:37
We hope you enjoyed hearing about these real life stories that we had for you today. If you know a student or a young engineer who would appreciate these insights, please do share this podcast with them. All they have to do is just search for Engineers Ireland, wherever they listen to podcasts, on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, wherever this episode was produced by dustpod.io, for Engineers Ireland, for advanced episodes, more information and the latest trends in infrastructure or career development advice. You'll find a wealth of resources on the website at engineersIreland.ie until next time for myself, Dusty Rhodes. Thank you for listening.