ENGINEERING YOUR FUTURE 2 *This module is compulsory* PP1: I’m an engineer Note: This module is your opportunity to tell your story. People relate to stories more than facts. The more personal and specific you can be here, the better. Things to cover: What you were interested in at school What you studied at college and what was it like Did you study an accredited course? * Your career path following college What do you do? A typical day at work for you now Opportunities that make your job interesting, e.g. travel, working with different people, diverse workload, promotion, etc. How do you make a difference? How do you make the world or people better? What challenges did you overcome to achieving your goal of becoming an engineer, or in rolling out a particular project? Have you ever failed at anything and what did you learn from it? Why do you enjoy your job? What do you aspire to in the future? Include photos or videos to illustrate your points *Useful: Refer to page 9, 48 and 49– Engineering your Future guidebook

What my friends think I do What my mam thinks I do What society thinks I do PP2 & PP3: About you Note: Insert a slide with a photo of yourself when you were in school, at college or in work, to personalise this section of the presentation and keep your approach informal. Highlight your own achievements and abilities; make it specific and personal to you. What do I actually do? What my boss thinks I do What I think I do

What I actually do PP2 & PP3: About You Note: Insert a slide with a photo of yourself when you were in school, college or in work now, to personalise this section of the presentation and keep your approach informal.

Organisation/Third Level Why I chose engineering My Story Type of Engineer Organisation/Third Level Why I chose engineering PP4:Your story Note: Talk about the type of engineer you are and where you currently/used to work/study. Talk about the influences that led you towards engineering, e.g. a parent or other adult you knew who was an engineer, a curiosity about how things work that showed early on, a talk or event you went to, TV programme you saw, etc. Be honest – it may be that you had other options in mind, but the important thing is to show why engineering is a career you enjoy now. Prop: Can you bring any props from work with you to show and discuss with the class?

Studied engineering at Engineering subjects PP5: College life Note: Talk about where you studied engineering and what subjects you studied as part of your course. This is important information for students who are making subject choices at second level. For most engineering courses, it is not compulsory to have science subjects for entry, but it is always helpful to have studied a science subject (physics, chemistry, biology or agricultural science). It also helps to have Higher Level maths but this is not essential for every course (e.g. Level 6 and 7 courses). You may have come into engineering by another route – e.g. an apprenticeship, adult education, career change. Tell students your story, as this may encourage students who are uncertain about what career to choose or who feel less confident about third level. Students will often respond better to stories about how you have overcome difficulties rather than just how you have succeeded – tell them about struggles you may have had to go through to complete your engineering training. Make sure students know about the fun stuff – what else did you do when you were studying or training that made it enjoyable? E.g. clubs and societies, outings and trips, etc.

My day-to-day work is mainly PP6: Work Note: When talking about your day to day work, it may be helpful to focus on one important project or activity that illustrates what you do, rather than trying to cover everything. Highlight your own achievements and abilities, make it specific and personal to you. Students respond well to the following: hearing about how a particular problem was solved what materials or processes are used for a particular project or activity how much things cost and how you work to a budget how engineers work with other experts to develop a plan and get a job done, etc. Photos: Insert more photos here if you have some, to illustrate what you are talking about.

Engineering in your community PP7: Engineering in your community Note: This is also a good chance for you to talk about what your company is doing in the local area, if you have not done so already. Insert photos or a video here, to illustrate what you are talking about. Include photos of engineering projects students are aware of – e.g. bridges, office buildings, railway stations – or of well-known products being made nearby – e.g. computers, medicines - so that they can see that there are career opportunities in their local community.