I’m not a politician (and therefore allowed integrity). I’m not a banker (and therefore allowed morality). I’m not rich (and therefore spared jealousy). I’m not poor (and therefore spared the wrath of politicians, bankers, and the rich). But mostly, I’m happy to still have a job.
Peter Hewson, Selby, North Yorks
I’ve designed and developed some pretty cool kit since I entered engineering 20 years ago, such as James Bond’s Aston Martin DBS, but my greatest accomplishment is to be never out of work and to have earned enough to do what I want to do. So, bring it on Osborne, even Lamont’s high interest rates didn’t defeat a young, inexperienced me!
Rob Smith, Towcester, Northants
As an engineer I have met lots of interesting people and been to lots of interesting places, from oil rigs in the North Sea to hospital operating theatres. Engineering might not pay like finance, but I can’t think of any other career with opportunities like that!
Patrick Barbour, Cardiff
My greatest sense of accomplishment and satisfaction arises because during my training, and degree, I learnt to dismantle, maintain and rebuild all kinds of equipment with the knowledge it will work when I have finished.
David Sawyer, Halesworth, Suffolk
Knowing that the ventilation designs I produce will become a reality and that people will benefit from them. Most people will never know I was there, but that’s fine as I always hope they will never need to use emergency capabilities of the fire-life safety system I helped to design.
Kate Hunt, Godalming, Surrey
As a manager, I get to direct, cajole, inspire and enable engineering team members to achieve personal bests. I achieve greatest satisfaction when we as a team achieve value worth more than the sum of the parts.
Douglas Walrond, Reading, Berkshire
The greatest satisfaction is that my work concerns operating plant and equipment and so there is a tangible, positive and measurable outcome from taking a problem from understanding the issue through to concept development and finally introducing the solution.
John Macdonald, Swindon, Wiltshire
The aspect of my job that gives me the greatest sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is that I have the skills and the opportunities to make a measurable contribution to society: helping to design something that will be used by people in their thousands, or to prolong the life of a power station, for example.
Craig Sevant, Altrincham, Cheshire
Knowing that rational and informed judgement has produced a solution to an identified problem.
Tim King, Tamworth, Staffordshire
Accomplishments – designing a toaster that only burnt the toast if you asked it to, but the company was asset stripped before it hit the shops. I also designed the world’s smartest mousetrap. Satisfaction – saying I told you so after the client has ignored the advice they asked for.
Martin Roberts-Jones, Eastleigh, Hampshire
Looking after mature assets offshore, there are always problems to deal with such as poor performance, obsolescence, breakdowns. Resolving these problems and applying modern technology and materials to improve performance, improve reliability and enhance safety gives enormous satisfaction.
Keith Dunnett, Westhill, Aberdeen
As someone responsible for the design and development of aeroengine repairs for civil aircraft, it’s knowing that what I do is in some small way useful to society. It certainly helps me get through the day-to-day hassles in my job!
Adrian Shore, Derby
Variety! Desk-based, but opportunities to travel; computer simulations and getting my hands dirty; working by myself, or as part of a team; project management and detail technical work: using the skills I have been given to make a customer happy by delivering what they want within budget and time constraints.
Neil Dinmore, Derby
Engineering is all about the art of the possible within the confines of the available resource. The biggest satisfaction is making something happen when – left to non-engineers – nothing would have happened. The challenge is greater than ever, so the joy of engineering should be greater than ever.
Andrew Marsh, Newbury, Berkshire
When at the end of a project you look back and, whether it is an oil rig, power station or other achievement, you have a warming internal smile that says “I did that. What’s next?”
Michael Stothard, Milan, Italy
Seeing a project to completion. Just before I got PE’s email I was discussing with a colleague the fact that he did not mind still working on a project more than five years after it started as it was now being rolled out across the UK.
Greg Davidson, Warrington, Cheshire
Accomplishment is achieved when a new design is built and everything fits, satisfaction when it works. Then you realise it could have been done differently or better and resolve that next time…
John Mills, Shrewsbury