Sophie Dick

Degree apprentice, John Sisk & Son

Expertise

Project Management, Construction

Location

United Kingdom

My highlights

Rising Star Award finalist at ICE North West Awards

Working on the new Isle of Man Ferry Terminal

Studying a civil engineering degree at Liverpool John Moores University

A day in my life

As for any civil engineer, every day is different. On a typical day I can be carrying out the following tasks:

Writing and reviewing risk assessments, method statements, and inspection test plans and reports
Writing and reviewing scopes of works and look ahead programmes
Liaising with local stakeholders regarding upcoming works
Reviewing drawings and specifications
Carrying out health, safety and environment inspections
Overseeing works on site
Setting out the works and surveying

The civil engineering community is huge and can take you across the world.

Which individual project or person inspired you to become a civil engineer?

I couldn’t say just one person inspired me.

My family is involved in the construction industry which sparked an interest.

But it wasn’t until I started on my first project and wanted to get involved in setting out the plans for the construction onsite that I really saw a career ahead for myself.

We asked Sophie…

I would recommend a career in civil engineering because…

It’s challenging but rewarding.

You’re able to work with a variety of people on a number of projects which could be anywhere in the world.

What about being a civil engineer gets you out of bed each morning?

The excitement of what can change on a daily basis - no two days are the same.

It’s also incredibly rewarding to see the progress made each day to reach a collaborative end goal.

What’s one great thing that you love about civil engineering that you didn’t know until you started working in the industry?

That there are endless opportunities and career paths.

The civil engineering community is huge and can take you across the world. I’m hoping one day I’ll be able to travel while continuing to carry out my role.

Which civil engineering project (past or present) do you wish you’d worked on?

The Queensferry Tunnel, Liverpool.

Living and working locally, you can’t help but be intrigued by how it was built.

I was recently talking to a colleague on its structure and how the venting system has now been used around the world.

Sophie's career path

Prior to starting with Sisk, I studied psychology, sociology and forensics at college and looked to study criminology at university.

However, after I finished college, I found that this wasn’t the right career path for me and began looking for opportunities within the construction industry.

Sisk took me on as an apprentice site manager and after completing a two-year higher national certificate (HNC) and national vocational qualification (NVQ) course, I started my degree in civil engineering at Liverpool John Moores University.