This week in Career Bites, we had the opportunity to learn from someone closer to home. Oliver O’Dell was a former SGS student who left here in 2018 after taking Maths and Physics for his A-levels. Now, he is employed at WSP - a global firm leading in services, engineering and advisory. 

Ollie is a Civil Engineer (a popular path for SGS students, including myself) and his job boasts a variety of different working days. He spoke about being active: part of his work is inspecting bridges across the Thames where he is hoisted up in a cherry picker to survey and study the safety, materials and structure. Ollie uses a combination of visual inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT), and load testing. Visual inspections involve a thorough examination of the bridge for any signs of damage, while NDT techniques like ultrasonic testing and GPR assess the internal condition without causing damage.

A big part of his job is also using software, specifically ‘MIDAS’, where he enters in his data that he collected about the materials, vehicles and designed weight and ‘MIDAS’ calculates the forces and analyses the pivot angles (much to the excitement of Mr Marsh). He then puts this information into a spreadsheet ready for a report he has to file for the clients that contacted them. If the bridge fails the safety test, Ollie needs to take several steps to address the issue, which can range from minor repairs to complete replacement.

Overall, Ollie works an interesting job that is pursued by many SGS students and involves a balance of active and electronic work. Top picks on courses to study are Maths, Physics and Mechanics and you will need a degree in Civil Engineering. Definitely an option for me!

William Blythe