How have you come to live in Ireland South East?

My family is originally from the Philippines. My father started working in Carlow back in the early 2000s. This is the reason why we started living in the South East. When I was in college, I lived in Dublin for 5 years during the weekdays and usually I’d go back to Carlow on the weekends. Dublin made me realise that I am not really a city person. Therefore, after college I went back to Carlow and searched for a job.

What do you like best about Ireland South East?

I love the nature. It is not crowded. I can go for a physical activity straight after work. It’s less stressful than compared to living in the capital. There is easy access to many natural activities.

Tell us about your career?

I graduated with a B.Eng. in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and an MSc. in Management Business. Not having enough experience in both degrees, I waited 4 months for an interview.  Thermo Air Ireland gave me a chance in this field. I didn’t know anything about heating units only some equations from college. I am lucky to have my colleagues who have more than 30 years experience in this industry. It is a small company, therefore, I get all the experience I never thought I would get as a female Engineer. Even though more women choose the Engineering path nowadays, there are still people or companies who hesitate to give women a chance to have hands-on experience as Engineers.

I am a Technical Sales Engineer assistant, sales and technical design. I interact with the clients and suppliers, write quotes and price the units. At the same time, I do drawings, buy supplies to fabricate my designs, investigate how it is made, and see a finished product. I also prepare operation and maintenance manual documentation. Because of my access to technical details, I go to site to do inspections, fix what needs to be fixed and produce inspection documents.

For me, having both roles actually makes my job easier. I do not have to wait for someone to create a drawing for me. I know how much work goes into a job. If there are any issues, I can cooperate with my Senior Engineer and Production Manager on finding a solution. I became more confident in contacting clients and suppliers with regards to the various projects.

What are the benefits of living in Ireland South East?

I believe that graduates of Dublin or any big universities always expect to work in large multinational companies. From what I have noticed from my classmates and Engineering friends, there are definitely a lot of opportunities in Dublin and Cork for female Engineers because of the Graduate Programs.

For me, the benefits of living in Ireland South East, are less competitors in terms of new graduates looking for a job. For the majority of new graduates, what matters most is the salary they will receive. They are fed up of not having enough money during their college years. Of course, they will think that going to big companies is the only solution. Another benefit is more affordable accommodation. Therefore, new graduates will be able to save more.

Can you tell us a secret about ISE or a favourite place that people might not know?

I love mostly the beaches of Wexford. They are not secret anymore. But there are lots of places in Wexford that I did not know until my partner (also an Engineer, and from Wexford) brought me there. Edenvale is one of them. This location boasts a walking trail along a small river with a waterfall at the end.

What is your advice to young engineers looking to establish a career?

Be brave. Just do it. If you find yourself enjoying it, stay. If you do not, make time to explore things that you really want. Everything is not easy anyway. Whether you do engineering or not, you still have to work hard to succeed.