I studied chemical engineering at Newcastle university and continued on to complete a masters with honours in chemical engineering.
My name is Supitcha Kaenhirun, sometimes known as Pin. I am originally from Thailand but I had been studying in the UK for 3 years. I recently graduated from the University of Nottingham with a MSc in mechanical engineering. I had been searching and applying for jobs since the last year of my bachelor’s, but I did not get an offer then. That’s why I decided to pursue postgraduate study. During my time in university, I balanced myself between studying and spending quality time with myself and my friends. I also managed to earn some money by working a part time job as well.
I am now a graduate engineer at SMD. It is something that I’m really proud of myself. I have no related/industrial experience at all prior to working here. I was nervous before but SMD had soothed me and let me learn lots of things without pressuring me at all. I am truly happy that today I am a part of SMD family. Sometimes it still feels unreal.
Always be open minded and eager to learn new things. You also need to be a good team player as working in the engineering industry and several others requires you to work with many people in order to or put things together. Another important thing is to ask questions if you don’t know or get stuck.
I usually start the day off by checking my emails to see if there are any new emails. This way, I can respond to those important and urgent ones quickly. Next, I go over my schedule to make sure the upcoming meetings are top of mind. I then continue working on my current project after setting a little milestone for the day. For example, what I should achieve/ finish before going to lunch and going home. However, this can be flexible, it was meant to be a guideline for me. I personally don’t have a specific time of the day to do the design work or calculations, at least for now. I prefer to do bits of both in the morning and in the afternoon to balance out two types of work.
Just under a month working here, the highlight for me so far is how I was given tasks/ mini projects to design an equipment and a jig to use in our industry. Even though it’s just a start, I feel like it’s a good way to learn lots of things through the projects. For example, I have learned to use some new programmes that I’ve never used before and familarised myself with the systems at SMD. Not to mention, I got to know how the products work in deeper level and crucial things to consider when designing the equipment and jig.
The best part about working at SMD is the support I get from everyone here, not just one or two people. I also love the culture here where everyone is so welcoming and friendly whilst the company is flexible and understanding. On top of that, SMD provide free meal(s) everyday in the canteen, where the staffs sit and eat together. It’s just cozy like one big family.
I recently graduated with an MSc in mechanical engineering from the University of Nottingham, where I achieved the first-class honours in my BEng in mechanincal engineering. During my years at the university, it was the time of covid pandemic, and it was one of the reasons why I hadn’t done any internship. However, I am one of those eager learners, so I searched for online courses and self-learned here and there from the resources available on internet. Although, I did not have any relevant experience to the engineering job, I had gained other important interpersonal skills, such as teamworking, time management, problem solving, etc., mainly through the course and a part time job.
A piece of advice for anyone who wants to pursue an engineering career, I would just say to be determined in the path you’re going. No matter how hard it may seem, I believe that it will work out in the end if you constantly put in an effort, and you are passionate about it. Eventually, you will be in the happy place and industry that you yearned for. On top of that, I want to say SMD is really a good place to start; they see the value in you beyond your gender or race. Moreover, the people here are so welcoming and supportive.
They treat female staffs equally as male staffs. They are provided with the same resources and support. SMD is also open and doesn’t discriminate.
It’s pretty good to have flexible working hours as well as the option to work from home. You can manage how you like to work and the environment matters. Some people find working at home or even a library or a coffee shop more effective than working in the office.
I don’t have the experience on that, but I imagine women wouldn’t get lots of chances to show their potentials and their opinions might not matter as much as those of the men.
I don’t have the experience on that, but I imagine women wouldn’t get lots of chances to show their potentials and their opinions might not matter as much as those of the men.
Friendly, Flexible, Supportive
“At SMD, I’ve been given the opportunity to work across a diverse range of projects, all of which have really facilitated my development.”
