Name: Jon Paull
Age: 26
Job title: Structural Engineer

Why did you choose this career?

At school, I really enjoyed Art and Design but I was also pretty good at Maths and Science. I wanted to get into something where I could be creative but without ‘wasting’ the analytical skills that I had. A teacher told me that I should consider a career in Civil Engineering and it was only really once I started at University that I appreciated exactly what Civil Engineers do.

What do you do day-to-day?

I design buildings. Think about a new skyscraper or sports stadium for example - an Architect will draw up plans and decide what the building will look like then a Structural Engineer will do the problem solving to decide the best way of building it. The engineer will decide what building materials to use to hold up the floors, roof and walls and will do the maths to make sure that the structure is strong enough to stand up to the forces acting on it. I spend most of my time working with the other members of the design team to come up with neat solutions to problems that arise during the design process and also spend time out on site making sure that everything fits together when it’s getting built.

What advice would you give prospective students?

Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what you want to do with your career. If you study a construction-based subject like civil engineering, there are literally hundreds of careers waiting for you in the construction industry. Whether you want to work in a design office, out on a construction site, at home or abroad, everywhere you look, people are always building stuff and there will be a team of people responsible for the design and construction of it.

Good bits about your job?

Every day is different. No two construction projects are the same so there are always new problems to be solved and it’s great to see the decisions that I make actually get reflected in the finished building.I helped to design the Snowdon Summit Building which is a visitor’s centre on the top of Snowdon and it was a proud moment climbing up and seeing the structure that I had sketched up actually standing there in steel on top of the highest mountain in Wales and England.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to lead the design of a future iconic structure. It would be an incredible feeling to be able to stand back from a project like the Beijing Bird’s Nest Stadium or the London ‘Gherkin’ and say “I designed that!”