I am a Dual Fuel Engineer at SMS Plc.

I am involved in installing and commissioning gas and electric meters. Risk assessments and safety checks of gas appliances and I’m on call for emergency off supply customers. “When I was at school, teachers promoted the notion of going to University. This was ‘the way forward’ if you were to get anywhere in life….
So I went, with a vague plan of becoming a PE / English teacher. Even though I was petrified of speaking in front of large groups.. got the degree… and left University with no real enthusiasm for being a teacher. And so I never followed up with the PGCE. I’ve always worked, jobs ranging from admin officer to Teaching Assistant to Prisoner custody officer… but never really happy in my work, met some great friends but the actual jobs just didn’t make me feel fulfilled.
I suppose I’ve never been what you would call a ‘girly-girl’ I have two brothers and I can’t really explain, but I just enjoy doing hands on stuff? I don’t mind getting muddy and cold or cobwebs in my hair. Not even too bothered about spiders these days… you can’t be in this job haha! I wanted a job where I had to actually think about what I was doing, but also a physical job. I get to meet different customers at each job, see a fair bit of the north east driving between jobs and after six years, still learning ‘tricks of the trade’. You are busy from start to finish so there is no time to be bored and before you know it, it’s Friday!
Almost every door I knock on, the response is along the lines of “I’m not being sexist but….. I never expected a woman to turn up…good for you” You do get used to it and I’m not offended at all infact I feel quite proud of myself for ‘going against the grain’ and going for a career that I really enjoy.
My proudest moment so far was my first day out ‘live’ on my own after completing all my training and shadowing