Dominic Cronin

Graduate engineer

Expertise

Design

Location

United Kingdom

My highlights

Supervising work experience students.

Working with InterEngineering

Being elected diversity ambassador for ICE GSNet

My working day

In the morning, I make sure I eat something healthy, such as an avocado bagel, to ensure I survive the underground rush hour to work and prepare myself for the day to come.

At work, I use software such as MicroDrainage, AutoCAD and Civil3D to produce various pieces of work.

Examples include, but not limited to, drawings of below-ground drainage and 3D models of earthworks.

Then I join the team for design meetings or to have my work reviewed. Also, going to sites and responding to civils-related queries.

In addition to these responsibilities, I communicate with other engineers to organise LGBT+ events to promote diversity within the engineering workforce.

I’m a civil engineer but I’m also a drag queen.

At university, I performed as a drag queen, which allowed me to express my creativity outside engineering.

This created a positive attitude within myself when I started work.

My career inspiration

Growing up in a military family exposed me to engineers constantly.

I’d always admired their hard work and effort that goes into producing something that benefits society.

We asked Dominic…

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

Prior to my career, the concept of sustainability in the civil engineering was vague.

Over the past year, there are standards that all companies must meet and there are proactive measures put into place to focus for the next generation.

There are many opportunities to design Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), which benefit infrastructure and the surrounding environment.

Civil engineering can significantly influence on the environment and being part of this movement to improve sustainability is one of the reasons for choosing engineering.

Which civil engineering myth(s) would you like to bust?

That this industry is full of boring men.

There are many engineers who are creative and open minded, which has allowed me to be comfortable and to work to my full potential.

Incredibly, mental health is becoming more prevalent and less of a taboo topic in the work space, which is having a positive effect on my own and others’ productivity.

Despite the gender imbalance and the stereotype, there are many engineers who are open to diversity in the engineering workforce.

Would you recommend a career in civil engineering?

You see your efforts and designs materialise in the world around you from your design work.

You can see the immediate benefits for the population and the surrounding environment, which creating a sense of self achievement.

Most importantly, you can see your career progression within your own company.

This gives a self-confidence to overcome challenges, in which the results are worthwhile.

One example would be collaborating with BWB to improve its diversity and inclusion strategy.

There are plenty of opportunities to progress personally and professionally, as long as you’re driven to develop yourself.

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

The Shard.

What about being a civil engineer inspires you?

It’s a great feeling knowing that the work you put in has results.

There are people in your team that rely on you to meet project deadlines on time and there’s a mutual respect and trust among engineers to allow you to finish the work, giving a feel of teamwork, which crosses across all areas of the group.

Education

Doing the most conventional route of A-levels in mathematics, chemistry and psychology, and a BEng in Civil Engineering at the University of Brighton.

However, I made myself stand out from others through years of part-time work as a bartender and waiter.

These jobs improve my soft skills, which were vital to thrive in an engineering environment and set me apart from other candidates.

For example, you can practice your communication skills with customers and demonstrate teamworking skills among co-workers under pressure.