Jack Chalkley joins The Engineer a Career Podcast to share what a career in construction actually looks like from the inside and how a project director gets built one project at a time.Jack is a Project Director and Scotland Healthcare Lead at AECOM, where he leads multidisciplinary delivery across some of the country's most complex social infrastructure projects. His route in wasn't planned, a builder sketching extension drawings on his parents' kitchen table sparked an interest in architecture, which became construction management at GCU, which became a trainee role at Clark Contracts running his own projects before he'd even graduated. Fifty projects later, he moved to AECOM and progressed from Project Manager to Project Director in under five years.In this episode, we explore what it really means to build a career in construction why placements change everything, how contracting sets you up for consultancy, and what it takes to lead client conversations when you're decades younger than the people in the room. We talk about the Golden Jubilee surgical centre and why healthcare projects keep him passionate, the mentors who shaped his progression, and why "be a sponge" is still his core advice years into the job. We also get into the contractor-to-consultancy shift, what good project management actually looks like, and why there's no single path through this industry.This is an honest conversation for students and early career engineers wondering what construction careers really involve and how far you can go when you stop worrying about your age and start owning the work.

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Josh sat down with Josh Murchie to talk through his journey into aerospace engineering and how he ended up working at GE Aerospace Caledonian in Prestwick.

What stands out about Josh's story is that it isn't a straight line. At 17, he made it to the final stage of the GE apprenticeship he'd dreamed of since doing work experience there as a school pupil and didn't get it.

From there, it became a process of pivoting, applying again, and finding a different route in: a foundation apprenticeship in aeronautical engineering, a first-class degree at the University of the West of Scotland, a Master's at the University of Glasgow (the same university that had rejected him for undergrad), and eventually a direct-entry role at GE Aerospace, without going through a graduate scheme.

This conversation challenges the idea that there is one route into engineering. Josh talks openly about the rejections that shaped his path, the imposter syndrome that came with each new step, and why he believes the most valuable thing his education gave him wasn't technical knowledge but the ability to think and problem solve.

They also explore what a New Product Introduction Engineer actually does, the value of bringing an academic perspective into a workplace built on apprenticeship trained expertise, and why Josh believes the next few years will be the heydays of aerospace and aviation.

If you've been rejected from an apprenticeship, didn't get the grades you wanted, or are questioning whether your route into engineering is the "right" one, this episode offers a different perspective on what a career in engineering can look like.

There's no wrong path.

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Alan Sinclair joins The Engineer a Career Podcast to share what it actually looks like to go from engineering student to graduate engineer — and what nobody really tells you about the journey in between.

Alan is a Graduate Design Engineer at Vital Energy, working in building services, and is five months into his first role after completing his mechanical engineering degree at UWS. His path wasn't straightforward — covid disrupted his plans, he chose Camp America over internships, and he had no idea building services was even an option until he was already in it.

In this episode, we explore what it means to find your feet in your first engineering role, why failing at things is actually how you learn, how sport built skills his degree couldn't, and what imposter syndrome feels like when you're fresh out of university and suddenly doing real work on real projects.

We also talk about chartership, hydrogen, and why seeing something you helped design get built never gets old.

This is an honest conversation for engineering students and graduates who are figuring out what comes next and wondering if they're ready for it.

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Josh takes Engineer a Career to the University of Glasgow for a live podcast, bringing together a panel of engineers at different stages of their careers to share how they got started.

From discovering engineering later than expected, to changing paths at university, to landing that first role in industry, this episode explores the real journeys behind the job titles. The panel share what sparked their interest, the decisions that shaped their careers, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

This isn’t a one-path story. It’s an honest look at the different routes into engineering, the challenges along the way, and what keeps them passionate about what they do.

If you’re a student, graduate, or just figuring out your next step, this episode shows you what that first step into engineering can really look like.

Josh sat down with Ivona and Ondrej at the University of Edinburgh to break down what an engineering career actually looks like after university.From their first interest in engineering to where they are now in industry, they share the real journey, the decisions, the challenges, and the moments that shaped their careers.They talk about placements, mentors, career changes, and why your degree doesn’t define where you’ll end up. There’s honest advice in here for students on building your network, managing your time, and staying open to opportunities as they come.If you’re studying engineering or thinking about your next step, this episode gives you a real insight into what happens after universitym and what it takes to build a career in engineering.

Josh sat down at the University of Dundee for a live podcast in front of students to hear Reese’s story and it’s not the typical engineering path.

From leaving school with no qualifications, working at McDonald’s, and going through college, to eventually breaking into university and now working as a Project Engineer in subsea engineering, this conversation is about what it really takes when things don’t go to plan.

We talk about failing exams, repeating years, paying for extra support just to get through university, and what it actually feels like to see others progress while you’re still trying to catch up.

Reese also shares honest advice on internships, breaking into industry, dealing with rejection, and why university doesn’t always prepare you for the real world of engineering.

If you’re a student who feels behind, unsure of your path, or questioning whether you’ll “make it”, this episode is for you.

Josh sat down with Ryan to talk through his journey into building services engineering and how he ended up working at the University of Glasgow.

What stands out about Ryan’s story is that it isn’t a straight line. He didn’t think engineering was for him at school, spent time working in an admin job, and only found his way into the industry after being given an opportunity to apply for an apprenticeship. From there, it became a process of learning, grafting, and figuring things out step by step through college, university and on the job experience.

This conversation challenges the idea that there is one route into engineering. Ryan talks openly about not being naturally academic, having to work at subjects like maths, and realising that engineering is just as much about communication, problem solving and mindset as it is about technical ability.

They also explore what building services engineering actually is, using a simple way of thinking about it. If architecture is the body and structure is the bones, then building services are the arteries that keep everything running. It is the side of engineering most people do not see, but it is fundamental to how buildings operate and how we move towards a more sustainable future.

If you are unsure where you fit, questioning your next step, or think engineering is not for you, this episode offers a different perspective on what a career in engineering can look like.

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John Kraus joins The Engineer a Career Podcast to explore what engineering needs to become if it is going to meet the challenges of the future.

John is the CEO of Engineers Without Borders UK and has built a career across policy, climate and the built environment.

Although not an engineer by background, his work is focused on one clear mission: helping engineering create better outcomes for people and the planet.

In this episode, we explore what global responsibility means for engineers, why more students are looking for purposeful careers, how engineering education needs to evolve and why individual engineers have the power to challenge how things are done.

We also dive into topics like doughnut economics, regenerative thinking and how engineering can move beyond solving problems to shaping a better future.

This is a thoughtful conversation for engineering students, graduates and professionals who care about where engineering is heading and the role they can play in it.

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