Achieving Chartered status was a key goal for Susan from the very start of her career - not solely for the personal and career benefits it offered, but also for the opportunity to contribute to the continued improvement of the profession. But while acknowledging that the process is challenging, she nevertheless urges ambitious engineers to pursue it as early in their career as they can.
“I was in a full-time job with Pell Frischmann, working on the assessment of the Forth Rail Bridge, and my son was two years old,” Susan recalls. “I attended some sessions at Bradford University to prepare for the exam and pick up techniques. One night I thought it would be good practice to go the whole way through a paper. So, I put my son to bed, sat down and worked from midnight to 7am. It was really helpful and made me aware of what I would have to do in the actual exam.” Clearly the tactic proved effective as she passed on her first attempt.
Meanwhile she continued to pursue her passion for inspiring others, visiting schools as a STEM ambassador to talk about engineering and raise awareness of the benefits offered by a career in the sector.
Attaining Fellowship status was Susan’s subsequent goal: “After gaining responsibility and experience, I felt it was time to consider applying for my Fellowship. Completing the application process by hand and finding five reputable sponsors – the requirement in those days - took time.
“But the roadmap to Fellowship contains so many wonderful memories, as well as joy and many hours of engineering. I honestly felt that becoming a Fellow of the Institution was an important milestone, a professional goal that comes with a sense of pride and accomplishment. To me it meant a level of recognition and excellence within our profession, complemented by a sense of responsibility for contributing towards its development."
“The eminent engineer Dr Willem Frischmann became my lead sponsor. I recall my first meeting with him in the London office; he warmly welcomed me and gave me much encouragement and confidence. I gained inspiration both from meeting, and holding discussions with him, and when I became a Fellow, he said I really was a role model for successful structural engineers, and I should encourage more women to enter the profession."
“Becoming a Fellow indicates your high level of seniority, leadership, professional engineering, and demonstrates your commitment to continuing professional development. The recognition and opportunities for networking that come with this status can be a source of joy and excitement, opening doors to new collaborations and professional growth.
“I continued mentoring and sponsoring others; I found that a rewarding experience as I could guide and support the younger profession and other engineers in their career,” she says.
Susan recalls that in 2006, when she attained Fellowship status, her involvement with the Institution stepped up considerably. “I was elected to the Council and to the Executive Board in 2007 and was invited to join the communication strategy committee at the same time. These were all new experiences for me and proved to be very exciting.
“In 2010 I was elected as the first ever female Chair of the West Midlands County region of IStructE, and I continued to serve on the Council as well as joining a number of different committees and panels – membership, resources, research, health & safety and the Structural Awards judging panel. I was also a PRI reviewer for CEng candidates.”
Susan Giahi-Broadbent on site as a young structural engineer