My career journey after Cranfield University

After the intense, yet enjoyable year of studying Advanced Chemical Engineering MSc in Cranfield University, I felt equipped to return to my home country, Ghana to commence my career journey. Since returning to Ghana after my studies in October 2018, I have been in two jobs which have required the application of both my technical and soft skills. Saying that Cranfield University has not contributed to the work ethic I exhibit in my career would be an utter lie and I have every reason to be grateful for the opportunity I had to sharpen old skills and acquire new ones during my master’s programme in 2018.

I currently work as an Operations Engineer in Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), a major natural gas processing and distribution company located in Ghana, West Africa. As an engineer at GNGC, I am privileged to work in a team of smart and dynamic people whose goal is to ensure that natural gas is readily available for consumers, especially power generation companies. It is fulfilling to work in a sector which ensures that energy, a critical indicator of socio-economic development in a country, is readily available to a majority of the population. It is such a privilege to be making an impact with all the knowledge I have obtained over the years.

This exhilarating feeling associated with making an impact is one the best things out of the numerous wonderful things that result from having a career in STEM. It is a feeling like none other when you know your work is solving a real-life problem, especially one that is linked to the basic needs of individuals. In addition to that is the fact that the constantly evolving nature of STEM ensures that there is always something new to be discovered, hence something new to learn every time. A career in STEM can never get boring!

I would advise any female who is looking forward to get into the engineering world to simply go for it without second-guessing their ability or place in the engineering world. This advice may sound cliché but it is imperative that the world becomes comfortable seeing females in engineering. Being a female in engineering should not be met with a response of shock or viewed as a feat of extreme bravado, rather we should progress to a point where seeing a female in engineering is as normal as normal gets. I would also encourage females to learn as much as they can with all the available resources they lay their hands on. The world is constantly evolving and those who stay relevant are those who consciously make an effort to learn and adapt to the changes. I am proud to be an engineer and I encourage anyone with an interest in engineering to jump on the bandwagon. There is room for everyone!

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