Name
Dr Richard Crawford

My job is
Assistant Engineer for Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd. I'm currently in the Bridges group, based in Bristol, and am involved in inspection, design and assessment of bridges, as well as a number of research projects

Home is
Bristol at the moment.

School days
I was always taking things apart as a kid, and normally managing to repair them too, so I guess I had engineering in the blood from an early age. I did the traditional pre-engineering trio of A-Levels, mathematics, physics and chemistry, along with General Studies for balance. I then took some time out from education to work, before going to university. I did both my degrees at the Royal Military College of Science (RMCS), Cranfield University, my undergraduate degree in civil engineering, and my doctorate in piling engineering. I especially enjoyed being taught by lecturers who had worked in industry.

The journey so far
At university, I had a summer placement with Molems, working in North London on an underground structure, during probably one of the hottest summers on record, either very lucky or very unlucky, depending on how you look at it. But the whole experience definitely cemented for me a career in engineering.

A day in the life
I am involved with ICE, and with the Professional Growth Network (PGN) within Parsons Brinckerhoff, an international development group of younger professionals. So in the course of a "typical" day, I could be carrying out an assessment on a bridge, or researching into a project, as well as reading papers from ICE committees, attending meetings or arranging community events for company staff.

I work with
a small but very social team based in the Bristol office, about 15 engineers and technical staff in total. However, the bridges group is around 100 strong in the UK, and I have made good technical and social contacts with engineers in other offices. As for where I work, I'm lucky to get to work in a beautiful Victorian red-brick building, with great views out over Bristol and the surrounding hills.

The best thing
about being an engineer? The fact that everything I do is making a difference to someone, somewhere. It doesn't matter how small my contribution is, either calculations or research it counts. The role of a civil engineer is very diverse, there is no typical job description so for someone like me who enjoys a challenge it is the ideal job.

My social time
I love the outdoors, which is handy being an engineer. I like to hike or cycle when I get the chance, and even a day's walking recharges the batteries. I keep in shape in the gym and enjoy a number of sports. When I'm not being energetic, I like undoing all my good work in the gym with a few beers with friends.

My travels
I have been lucky to go to some wonderful parts of the world. Most recently, these have included South Africa, where I presented a paper to an international conference, then spent a month backpacking around the country.

My future
At the moment I am working towards being professionally qualified as a civil engineer, and getting chartered through the ICE. I would ultimately like to work in disaster management and mitigation, using my civil engineering background to assist communities that have suffered natural and man-made disasters.

My view on the future of civil engineering There will always be the need for civil engineering, and the fact that the whole world is shaped by engineers should be encouragement enough for anyone to enter the profession.

I recommend Civil Engineering
because no other job has so much impact on daily life, such a sense of achievement and provides a challenge all in one package.