I have been a structural engineer for 11 years and graduated in Lisbon, Portugal, where I am from. I decided to be an engineer because I liked maths and physics, and how they were more challenging than other subjects. I also talked to a few family members who were engineers and I thought I would like to do it too as it sounded like a varied job.

Although I found my degree quite difficult, I enjoy the actual job much more. It is never boring and I think it’s in my personality to find solutions for problems and really understanding how things work. It’s really satisfying to design buildings, watching them being built and then using them! I really think it’s a cool job and I don’t think I could do anything else.

The main challenges are misconceptions in society, and the fact it’s still a male-dominated industry. This can be a bit intimidating at times, especially working with more regional and smaller companies.

My advice is that you should do whatever you really want to do and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t just because you’re a girl!

The more girls we have in the industry, the more dynamic and interesting it will be in the future - and I can’t wait for it to be the norm.