Celebrating Women in Engineering: Jessica’s story

In recognition of International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), we sat down with Jessica Singh, an engineer working in the Instruments and Regulations (I&R) team in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York. Jessica graduated from New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering and joined National Grid three years ago.

Tell us about your journey from graduate to engineer

Growing up I was always good at math. In high school we had to choose an elective class and my guidance counselor told me I should try learning Java (a computer programming language.) I tried it, liked it and then decided to pursue engineering. At first I really didn’t want to become an engineer because my brother followed this track and I really didn’t want to do what he did (chuckles). My dad, who’s an electrician, told me engineering would be fun, so I decided to study computer engineering and I loved it.

Starting my job at National Grid put me in a very different environment – here I’m surrounded mostly by mechanical engineers, so that’s been a transition for me. But, since my degree is in computer engineering, it’s really half electrical engineering and half computer science.

On-the-job training

I’ve been able to gain the skills needed to be successful in my role with the help of my manager, Sebastian, who shows me mechanical processes that I wasn’t exposed to during my studies. Once he does, I convert what he says into a sort of code – like a logic statement – because that’s what I’m used to in computer engineering.

I’m back at school to pursue my Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) at St. John’s University so I’m learning a lot about businesses and finance, which supplements my day-to-day responsibilities. I’m almost done and will graduate with my MBA next semester – time really flies!

Thinking like an engineer

I recently bought a house with my dad and we wanted to renovate it. I found myself thinking like a mechanical engineer – wondering ‘what do we want to change?’ and ‘if we want to build a wall, how would we do that, what are the dimensions and how would we spec it out?’. We also built a deck and I managed that project from the initial drawings to where to put the stairs and how we’d build it all.

Managing – and smashing – barriers

When I was studying engineering I think there were more barriers in my mind, which was something that I had to get past. As mentioned, in the beginning of my studies I didn’t want to pursue engineering because I thought it was a ‘boy thing,’ especially because my brother was doing it. Since entering the workplace this has improved drastically. I had some female friends in school, but most of my classes were male-dominated and that was interesting. Now that I’m working at National Grid I no longer feel the same way – like I’m the only woman engineer. I was the only female when I first joined my team, but now we have two others so it’s nice to have a mix.

An awarding career so far

My team is responsible for the maintenance of the renewable natural gas project at the Newtown Creek wastewater treatment plant in Greenpoint. It’s a huge project and I’m proud to be a part of it.

Because I order supplies for the I&R team, I can see what my small contribution means in the larger picture. Obviously the supervisors plan the work and our represented colleagues implement the plans, but when I see our team in the field putting all the pieces in place I feel like ‘wow, it’s all coming together and I helped make it happen.’

Engineering can give you adaptable skills that you can transfer anywhere you want

Advice to young women thinking about engineering

For girls and young women interested in this field I would tell them that, if you love math and science, engineering can give you adaptable skills that you can transfer anywhere you want. It might seem scary and like a lot of work, but at the end of the day it's very rewarding. And I’d say ‘never be discouraged’, because sometimes engineering school can be hard work. You do a lot of calculations, but if it’s challenging at first brush it off and try harder, because it's going to pay off. Your career in engineering will definitely be rewarding.

> Read more about women in engineering at National Grid