As part of International Women in Engineering Day 2022 we have spoken to some of our talented and inspiring female members about their motivations, their careers and their advice on becoming an engineer. In this Q&A we speak to Zarith Sofia Magad, Technical Director, Transport Planning at Mott MacDonald.
As a young girl I used to enjoy putting objects together and creating something out of them. I remember when my father brought home new furniture or electronics, I would help to assemble them for him. My mother taught me lots of arts and crafts and I still enjoy making things today. Because I excelled in both arts and sciences in school, I knew I wanted a career where I’d be able to use my creativity. I studied civil engineering and indeed, in my 15 years of being a transport planner and engineer, I am fulfilled having my creativity exercised in many aspects of my job.
I really enjoy engineering because of the work we do and how it directly impacts the outcomes on society. We have good career progression prospects, we have institutions to turn to for professional qualifications, resources, community and learning – and engineering is fun!
I do also feel that working in engineering has given me opportunities to advance to a position of greater responsibility and influence that may not be so readily available in other sectors. As a woman with a physical disability who comes from a minority racial group in Singapore, it is liberating to know that the opportunities afforded to me are based on my performance and are merit based alone. In engineering what matters is what’s shown on the drawings and not who produced it.
Also in Singapore, I am lucky to be able to witness the projects that I work on get constructed and operated about a decade after planning stage. It is truly rewarding knowing my family members (and I) enjoy the public transport infrastructure on our daily commute that I had a hand in planning, design and/or construction!
When there are women in engineering, there will be diverse thoughts – and diversity in opinion will lead to innovation. When there are equal women in engineering, equal representation across levels in practice will result to more inclusive policies and solutions – for engineers and society.
To target girls who are still in school, companies and organisations can organise local, regional or nationwide engineering educational events, such as site visits or competitions and target higher attendance of girls through means that may include positive bias – for example, a suggestion can be for teams entering into competitions to require at least one female member. There should be high or equal representation of women who make up technical speakers, facilitators and/or judges in these events, so that young girls are able to see women in the field.
As for women who are about to or just started their career in engineering, companies and organisations should set them up for success from the beginning. For example, job advertisements should be screened to ensure that there is no gender bias for a role, having at least one woman at the interview will show representation within the company, inclusive programmes or structured schemes that help career development of engineers can be set up to support women who are just starting their career. I would like to share that I have been part of Mott MacDonald’s Advance committee since 2017. Advance is a committee that champions Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. One of the schemes I helped pilot for our Asian offices in 2018 was the Reverse Mentoring scheme, where we paired a man in senior leadership with a woman who was just starting her career with the aim for her to learn about his role in management and receive his guidance through career choices, and in turn, for him to listen to perspectives shared by the woman and support her (and other women) by including women’s perspectives in management decisions. This successful first run received positive feedback from both sides, and we are seeking opportunities to run this Reverse Mentoring scheme again.
Although a professional qualification is currently not a requirement in Singapore to practice, my view is that being a chartered engineer provides trust in my experience and practice in the field. With the CEng, my experience and competency are now globally recognised. This is important to me because this provides colleagues and clients with confidence, as I work closely with them on projects around the world. To be named Outstanding Candidate following my professional review was truly a surprise and honour, and it certainly helped to boost my own assurances.
Being professionally qualified now allows me to mentor others about the qualification process and getting chartered. I am currently under training to be a CIHT Professional Reviewer too, as I am keen to be part of someone else’s journey to be professionally qualified. It means a lot to me to be able to contribute back to the practice in this way.
My advice for some who would like to get into engineering would be to get in touch with a mentor to understand what to expect either in undergraduate studies, or in the field. If a mentor is not immediately accessible, try approaching professional institutions such as CIHT or local ones like the Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) to be paired with a mentor who can guide you through your choices and progression. Also, do look out for events, courses or competitions organised by the industry that pique your interest so that you can find like-minded people to pursue the subject.
For those considering earning an engineering qualification, once you’ve found someone who can lead you through the qualification process, try and form a circle of those who are pursuing to get professionally qualified also. Being in a group will help you keep pace and focus on seeking experience in the competencies, completing your submissions and preparing for the professional review together. Or if like me, you are going to work on it alone, seek colleagues who are going to support you by sharing their experience with their qualification process, review your submission documents and set up multiple mock interviews!
Zarith Sofia Magad, Technical Director, Transport Planning at Mott MacDonald
CIHT Statement
The opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the CIHT or its members. Neither the CIHT nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
