About Leonie
Hey, my name is Leonie. Female. Quite old. Lives with 1 dog, 1 bloke, 2 large snails and some fish in Norton, North Yorkshire. Likes: music, gardening, making things.
My first job was as a Saturday girl in a motorbike shop when I was 15. I left home at 18 and did all sorts to get by. I’ve worked in shops as a parts technician, door staff, assembly worker, storeman, bar staff, tractor builder, warehouse worker, cleaner, waitress, whatever I could get. Most jobs had their ups and downs (some more downs than others), but I wanted a job with security, a better wage, and something interesting. Also, I enjoyed more hands-on technical jobs, finding out why things didn’t work and then fixing them.
I did an AutoCAD qualification at a night class, and I managed to bluff my way into a new job as a draughtsman, despite having no experience. I enjoyed the job but wanted to understand more of what I was drawing for people, so I set myself a goal: I wanted to be an engineer.
First step: Get qualified. I applied to college, but I didn’t meet the academic entry requirements. However, I was persistent and persuaded them to let me onto the HNC course anyway.
Second Step: Get a proper job. After I got my first HNC, I was offered a position with a nuclear decommissioning company as a Senior Designer and eventually was promoted to Engineer. I worked on several projects, including crane controls, nuclear waste vaults, and plutonium handling systems! I also taught AutoCAD and Relux (lighting design software) to anyone who needed it. I continued to study, and I’ve collected quite a few qualifications over the years since.
Third Step: Get More Experience. After a few years, I decided I wanted a change of direction. The company I worked for did a lot of design but very little work with things after they were built - I wanted a chance to see something through from beginning to end. At this point, I was worried that my lack of a degree was potentially holding me back, so I started studying with the Open University towards BEng (Hons) Engineering. I also moved to a new job as a Senior Electrical Engineer with a specialist building services consultancy, where I worked on historic and listed buildings. During my time there, I worked on refurbishments at railway stations, museums, schools, and churches. It was rewarding, and I worked on some fantastic projects, but after a few years, I realised it wasn’t as challenging anymore. A friend encouraged me to apply to Swinton Technology, and here I am.
What do you do at Swinton Technology?
I’m a Project Engineer at Swinton Technology and having come from a different sector, I have a lot to learn about metering systems. However, I like to think I’ve also brought some experience with me that has benefited the company.
A working week can be very varied; one day, I’ll be wiring up some simulation equipment, or I’ll be designing a system and doing the drawings, or another day I’ll be doing system testing with the client. Swinton has high staff continuity throughout the lifecycle of a project, so you get involved from the design stage to handing it over to the client. It’s one of the many things I really love about working here.
What would you say to an aspiring female engineer?
Ten years ago, I had just finished my second Engineering HND, but if the question was 15 years ago, I would say: Don’t panic, you can do this, and it’ll work out ok!
To any aspiring female engineer (of any age), I’d definitely say: Don’t let people tell you what you can’t do, go and find out for yourself. Ask questions! People love to talk about things they’re interested in, so most engineers will be happy to explain things to you. Take every opportunity to learn new things. Get qualifications; they’re never wasted. Finally: set goals. I had milestones I wanted to achieve – I haven’t managed some of them (yet), but I don’t beat myself up; there’s still time. I was 27 when I retrained, and if I can do it, so can you.