INWED26: Katie Taylor on Building a Career in Engineering
At ICR, we are proud to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), which recognises the outstanding achievements of women engineers around the world and shines a spotlight on the opportunities engineering creates for future generations.
To mark the occasion, we sat down with Katie Taylor, a Graduate Mechanical Engineer at ICR, to chat through her engineering journey and career thus far, and to see what advice she would give to women pursuing an engineering career.
Tell us about your journey into engineering – what inspired you to pursue a career in mechanical engineering?
“I have always enjoyed the challenge of problem-solving, so engineering felt like the best route to go down. It did help that my favourite subject at school and sixth form was maths as well. After college, I decided to study Aerospace Engineering at university because I was fascinated by the complexity of aircraft and how so many different complex systems work together. I enjoyed the challenge of understanding all these systems and applying maths and engineering principles to solve problems. That’s the thing with engineering, a lot of degrees teach you the fundamentals of a lot of disciplines, so although I studied aerospace, I also developed a good foundation in mechanical engineering, and those transferable skills and the opportunity to learn even more are what have led me to mechanical engineering. I still get to problem-solve whilst also broadening my knowledge and learning something new each day.”
You joined ICR Integrity as a Graduate Mechanical Engineer in February 2025. What attracted you to the company and the role?
“I was attracted to ICR because of its reputation for developing innovative solutions, and the Graduate Mechanical Engineer role stood out in particular because it offered me the opportunity to gain experience in numerous aspects of engineering instead of just one, which is the case with many graduate schemes. I wanted a role where I could challenge myself as well as apply and build upon the knowledge and skills I had gained from my degree. Since joining ICR, I have had the chance to work on a variety of projects, build on my skills in numerical analysis and take on new challenges.”
Since joining ICR, you have worked extensively with Quickflange™. What have you enjoyed most about being involved with this technology?
“What I’ve enjoyed most about working with Quickflange™ is the opportunity to further my numerical analysis skills. Having the chance to learn from a skilled engineer like Olusegun Ajibose (Senior FE Analyst) has been invaluable, and he has really helped me develop my technical understanding. It’s been rewarding to be able to build on my technical skills while contributing to projects. I have also enjoyed getting to work with and learn from all the engineers who have a lot of experience, and it’s great to be able to be mentored by them.”
You have recently started working with Technowrap™ as well. How has expanding your experience across different technologies helped your development as an engineer?
“It has been valuable to gain exposure to the different technologies and see how the engineering principles are applied in different contexts. I have enjoyed having the chance to learn something new, especially where every repair design is different. In terms of my development as an engineer, the opportunity to learn something new is always an advantage, and working with Technowrap™ gives me the opportunity to learn and apply new knowledge to solve problems. It also gives me the chance to learn from different experienced engineers, so it’s nice to be able to learn from such a wide range of knowledgeable engineers.”
What has been the biggest lesson you have learned during the first 18 months of your career?
“The biggest lesson I have learnt is that you don’t need to know everything at the start; you will come across things you don’t know. It’s very important to ask a lot of questions. While I have graduated from university and have my degree, the real learning is only just beginning. I have and still am learning to have confidence in myself and trust the knowledge and skills I have developed. It can be daunting starting your career, but looking back over the last 18 months, I can see how much I have grown, and that’s encouraging to keep developing and pushing myself.”
Have there been any mentors, colleagues or experiences that have particularly influenced your development so far?
“Definitely. Like I’ve already said, I have been fortunate to work alongside experienced engineers, and they have all been supportive and willing to share their knowledge and experience. Learning finite element analysis from someone like Olusegun, who has so much experience and enthusiasm, is invaluable. It makes learning some very difficult topics easier. In general, everyone has provided me with experience or knowledge which I will take with me throughout my career as an engineer.”
What advice would you give to women who are considering studying engineering or pursuing a career in the industry?
“My advice would be to go for it if that’s what you enjoy and want to do. There’s nothing stopping you. Engineering is rewarding, and there are so many different paths to go down. If you enjoy a challenge and learning something new every day, it’s worth giving it a go.”
Katie plays a vital role in our Engineering Team and contributes massively to the overall success of ICR. To find out more about #INWED26, this year’s theme of Engineering Intelligence, or how your company can get involved, click here.
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