Meet Liam

Tell us a little bit about you and your job

My name is Liam, I’m from County Durham and studied at Northumbria University, I recently joined SMD as a Graduate Engineer. As a Graduate Engineer, we complete a two-year program which involves regular rotations around each department within the business with an overall focus on engineering; this enables us a chance to gain valuable experience and knowledge of the business, the subsea industry in general, and how the actions we take as future Mechanical Engineers fit into the wider business.

What attributes do you think you need to be successful in this industry?

A Passion for engineering, good communication and teamwork skills, a willingness to learn, good problem solving skills.

What does a typical day look like for you?

As the nature of the Graduate Program is based in rotations, there isn’t really a typical day; the theme that ties all the days together is learning. Currently that involves learning how Engineering within SMD is structured; the software we use, the control process in place, how contracts work, etc.

What is your highlight so far?

Being able to dive straight into learning something new, I’ve never used the CAD software Inventor before, so being able to get into how it works and design things already is really refreshing.

What is the best part about working at SMD?

Definitely the people – everyone is extremely friendly and knowledgeable.
Also the free canteen

Can you tell me about your experience/background/education?

For my undergraduate degree I studied Mechanical Engineering at Northumbria University, and for my masters degree I studied Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technologies again at Northumbria University – in total I was at uni for 6 years!

Prior to SMD I was on another Graduate program [with Enshore Subsea/within the subsea industry] which was focused on Project Engineering, this experience really expanded my knowledge and interest in the subsea industry. The opportunity to specialise in Mechanical Engineering, and be part of a company with an extensive and excellent reputation within the subsea industry is why I’m excited to be here.

Any advice you have for people who may be interested in being an Engineer?

Don’t worry about not knowing everything straight away, be comfortable with saying ‘I don’t know’, but be willing to apply yourself and find that answer that you don’t know. Focus on skills such as teamwork, active listening, and problem solving, and have a drive to learn.