Evolve’s amazing women in engineering share their advice and insight about the industry.
Friday, June 23rd, is International Women in Engineering Day. Evolve is extremely passionate about supporting this movement in the industry. In aid of International Women in Engineering Day Evolve wanted to get their amazing women involved, so they spent the time to sit down and speak to two of their engineering team – Jessica Neilson and Hannah McGrath.
Evolve believes it is incredibly important to speak up about women in engineering and the impact they have on the industry. Their discussion with Hannah and Jess led to great insight into what it is like to be a woman in engineering, both in the industry and at Evolve.
Continue reading to find out what they said…
Lancashire, UK – 2023
Introduce yourselves and your role at Evolve.
“Hello, my name is Jessica, and I have been at Evolve since September 2020, my current role here is Technical Support Shift Supervisor following a recent promotion. Before this, I was one of the 2nd Line Technical Engineers.”
“Hi, my name is Hannah. I was the person who finished school and didn’t know where to go career-wise, My college varied from beauty therapy to public services to business studies, and I still wasn’t sure about the path that I would take. I started at Evolve in September 2022 as a 1st line technical support engineer after wanting more of a challenge and something new. I was recently promoted after 6 months of being at Evolve.”
What do you enjoy about being an engineer at Evolve?
Jess commented, “Working at Evolve provides different challenges every day and allows all of our engineers to push themselves intellectually, gaining knowledge on a wide array of technology and solutions – this is what makes working at Evolve so exciting. Working together to solve problems and gain a deep understanding of complex systems ensures that any problems we encounter are dealt with efficiently and effectively – leading to better outcomes in the long run. A lot of the issues we deal with are picked up and resolved proactively before the customer is even aware, this is different from any place I have worked before. This provides us with a great sense of achievement in our role and pushes us to expand our knowledge and skills – aiming to become the best engineers possible.
Evolve supports everyone no matter what level, providing them with continuous learning opportunities, whether this is in-house training or enrolling employees on professional courses in which we are given the opportunity to gain globally recognised certifications. We also can request certifications we would like to complete – they are not just from a pre-defined list. This is important given the nature of our industry where technology is always evolving. Staying current with the latest advancements in networking protocols, security measures, and infrastructure technologies is vital. It is essential for us to proactively keep ourselves informed and up to date in these areas. By doing so, we can effectively adapt to emerging trends, incorporate innovative solutions, and maintain the highest standards of performance, security, and efficiency.”
Hannah then added, “I enjoy the problem-solving that comes with the role, no two days are the same and we often encounter many different challenges and obstacles. I enjoy analysing issues, identifying solutions to those issues, and implementing them effectively. Every issue is highly satisfying to resolve no matter how big or small, and very rewarding. Especially when the customer on the other end is thrilled with your outcome!
Another aspect I appreciate about being a network engineer is the many different learning opportunities we have in this field; we have a lot of opportunities to grow and a lot of different paths we can take here, depending on where our interests lie and what skills we are strongest in, it can be a great career path.”
Why do you think more women should join engineering?
When Jess was positioned with this question she said, “There are so many types of engineering roles, but overall for me, it is all about using skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and communication which can help to transform the industry. I believe it could bring a fresh perspective and contribute to a more inclusive industry, where no one should feel like they cannot simply because of their gender.”
When asked the same question Hannah commented, “I think it is a great field of work to be involved in and more women should consider this career path. I know it is primarily a male-dominated field, but you shouldn’t let that stop you. more and more women are joining and are becoming very successful within this industry, and climbing through the ladders to the top. It gives women more of a chance to be able to show off their talents and skills somewhere which provides the best training and supports whichever engineering path you’d like to go down; the opportunities are endless and there is something here for everyone.”
Do you have any advice for any women starting their careers in engineering?
“Never let gender be the reason you are told no. Always make your voice heard and allow your knowledge and skills in the field to make an impact. It is important to make sure you are always aware of ever-emerging technologies which can help build confidence and able you to believe you are more than worthy to be in this field.
I truly understand it can be scary at first, from the moment you walk into your new workspace, and you are the only female in the room, but you should use this as an encouragement to push yourself to be the best in the room.”
Jess went on to add, “It is also important to find the right company and working environment. I have found having colleagues and a management team that are supportive is vital. This is not just due to the gender gap but for anyone wanting to progress and build on their passion. I am lucky enough to work for a company that promotes this and supports me on both a personal and professional level – but unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone.”
“Be brave and confident and start with your head held high, there is something here for everyone and you shouldn’t let the opinion of anyone else stop you from pursuing a career in this field.
Believe in yourself and that anything can happen, it all starts with you. If you believe you can go far in this industry and want a change then what are you waiting for, seize the opportunity to take on something new and show off your talents. Never a regret always a lesson you have nothing to lose only more doors to be unlocked. Nothing in life is a failure, nothing in life is worth it unless you take risks and get out of your comfort zone, that is where the magic happens. Every failure is one step closer to success.” Said, Hannah.
What kind of future do you see for women in engineering?
“I hope that we continue to see a huge rise in the number of female engineers in the future, there has already been a 6% rise recently which shows us that it is heading in the right direction. Those in the field already can help have an impact on keeping this trend going and influence the younger generation.” Said, Jess.
Hannah added, “As a female engineer in the field and an increase of 6% in the number of women engineers, the networking industry offers a lot of exciting career paths and opportunities to grow, and more and more women are joining the industry in greater numbers, demonstrating their exceptional talents and skills, and seizing the endless possibilities that lie ahead.”
Why do you think it’s important to shout out about women in engineering?
Jess answered, “Ensuring young girls are aware of the opportunities available will help inspire and break down that barrier and ideology that this industry is not available to them. In reality, the majority of engineers, male or female are very supportive and encouraging. We can create a more inclusive environment that helps promote and recognise women engineers.”
We asked Hannah why she felt it was important, “Women possess valuable voices and talents that deserve recognition in the pit of our networking infrastructure. By actively participating in the networking industry, we bridge the gender gap and challenge the male-dominated nature of the field.”
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About Evolve Business Group and Evolve
Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve is helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best.
Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected.
