Name: Gitanjali Tomar
Current employer: Fluor Corporation
Job title: Project Expeditor
Science Career: Engineering Manager
Time working in this field: 8 years

How would you describe what you "do" in your job to a student?

I apply what I studied in school and college to build things that could make people’s lives easy and also support building a happy and sustainable environment for all.

How did you become interested in this area of science/engineering?

By being good at what I studied and confident enough to apply the information. Also knowing what difference I could make to our society by making a contribution in engineering motivated me to pick this field.

What are some of the key characteristics that are important for a person to succeed in this type of work?

Knowing your strengths and weakness is always important. There are various domains in engineering. Picking one that interests you and you like is of utmost important. Once you do that, the rest is easy and full of amazingness.

Describe a project that you have worked on that was of particular interest to you.

There have been many opportunities to work on many interesting projects. The ones which interest me more are working on these small projects, like the Fluor Engineering Challenge. They bring out the creativity in you from deciphering the problem, thinking of all the possibilities to design the solution and finally making the model and testing it.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really like knowing that others are enjoying nice living (air conditioning, water heaters etc.) because of us. In a way we are making some positive impact on the world.

Is there any advice you would give to someone interested in this field that you wish someone had given you when you were starting out?

Understanding engineering is not a complex thing to do. Just study it, visualize it, and relate it to day-to-day activities. Once you are able to do that, you will start enjoying what you do and feel proud of the contribution you are making.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy yoga stretching exercises to relax, travel to explore new places, singing songs, and dancing to music.