From building iconic skyscrapers, delivering clean water and energy, planning new cities and restoring damaged environments, the engineering work at AECOM is innovative and exciting.

To mark Tomorrow’s Engineers week that shines a spotlight on engineering career pathways, women working at global multidisciplinary company AECOM share their views on why young people should be excited about a career in engineering and why more and more women should consider an engineering career pathway.

An exciting career choice with great support

“AECOM is an excellent place for women to work as there is an open and professional recognition that women are in the workforce, that they are an integral part of the workforce, and that they should be seen, heard and celebrated to promote even more diversity moving forward,” says Emma Gilmour, Associate Director in Traffic and Local Roads at AECOM. “It is the first place I have worked in over 20 years where there was a serious and constructive discussions on the real needs and concerns of women and the 1-2-1 line management and rewards arrangements supports women in work and work/life balance.”

Feeling fully supported by AECOM, Emma is confident that her role as an engineer will allow her to make an impact in a variety of projects across the world. “Engineering offers women a way to make the world a better place; by helping people in their daily lives and contributing to society at large in a positive way both here and abroad, it also is a chance to become an expert in your  field with nationally recognised professional status. Engineering is an excellent career path with rewards and remuneration commensurate with effort put in that can be adaptable to your life changes and will stand the test of time,” she suggests.

AECOM’s impressive construction projects

Farah Kurdi, AECOM’s Director in Project Controls in Construction Services in Abu Dhabi believes that engineering offers young people the chance to get excited about seeing projects they work on come to fruition. “AECOM has enabled me to work on major projects and achieve my ambition of becoming a director in the buildings industry. I always feel proud when I pass by projects knowing that AECOM played a part in making them a reality,” explains Farah.

Engineering is a creative job

Structural Engineer, Amy Koerbel, played a crucial role in the highly publicised and internationally praised Serpentine Pavilion in London - a project where she could enjoy collaborating across the mediums of art, architecture and engineering. Amy’s team at AECOM used virtual and augmented reality software to allow the Pavilion’s architect Diébédo Francis Kéré to walk around his full-scale structure using virtual reality in the earliest stages of the design process. This helped his team and AECOM to collaboratively translate his vision into reality for an impressive tree-like gathering space to be built.

Building a career in construction is a smart choice

AECOM’s Roma Agrawal, who received a prestigious award from the Royal Academy of Engineering for her outstanding efforts to promote careers in the industry, is adamant that our modern world will literally depend on engineering. “We would have no homes, phones, cars, robots or satellites without it (engineering), it is an intrinsic part of our lives. I love working with people but I also love the technical challenge - and it’s vital that we don’t lose amazing talent in the future, simply because people are not aware that they too could become engineers,” suggests Roma.

Roma has managed to combine her full time role as an associate director at AECOM with broadcasting and promotional work. Her experience ranges from designing the ‘cool steel’ atop the Shard in London to acting as a style ambassador for well-loved retailer Marks & Spencer. What an impressive array of achievements!

Engineers make big impacts on the world

Hearing from these women, it is clear that an engineering career can be wide-reaching with global impact, both in the present and for future generations. Each of these women have opened up a world of possibilities via their interest in engineering. Join them in working on the engineering challenges of the future when you research opportunities with AECOM today.

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