Which company do you work for?

I am currently working for Skanska Civil Engineering UK. Skanska work on major civil engineering projects which involve road and motorway works, rail works, tunnelling, marine works and communication projects.

Why did you choose this career?

I chose to do a Civil Engineering Technician course so that I could gain overall knowledge of the site and how a construction job comes together. Having a foundation in engineering opens up many different career paths in construction which is what appealed to me as I eventually want to be a quantity surveyor.

What do you do day-to-day?

On a typical working day I usually have a big workload to keep me busy; I go and set out levels for the sub-contractors such as height levels for an excavation which tells them how deep to dig, or setting out positions of where components need to placed. I also analyse technical drawings and create new drawings, inspect steelworks and refer back to those drawings.

What are the good bits about your job?

I like the fact that I'm not stuck in a boring 9-5 office job. Being in the construction industry means that you're always on a different type of job and you're always learning.

I like the fact that a project can take as long as four years or as little as six months which keeps you interested and constantly throws different challenges in your direction.

What's the coolest thing you've done so far?

So far I'm most proud of a concrete pour that I managed three months into my placement. It was the first time I was left alone to manage a pour.

It was my job to cube up the area and work out how much concrete and how many wagons we would need. When the pour was complete my calculations were correct and I had cubed up the exact amount of concrete that was needed and not a metre out!

What would you say to anyone who wanted to try this?

To someone thinking about doing the same thing I would encourage them to go for it. There are so many apprenticeships out there with many major and small companies and it is a great opportunity to earn money whilst you learn.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In ten years I hope to be a chartered quantity surveyor as a Member of The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and also a member of The Institution of Civil Engineers as a technician.