Evona Teh
Sparking an interest in engineering
When Evona was 13 years old, she attended a school in Malaysia, where one of her classes focused on electronics. She says, “I vividly remember the thrill I felt when the LED light on a small circuit I designed lit up.” This was just the beginning to solidifying her passion and interest within electronics engineering.
At just 17 she was faced with a pivotal decision to make. She was offered two full scholarships to study in the UK, one for medicine and the other for engineering. She did not hesitate when making her choice to study Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Imperial College London.
“The excitement of solving problems and creating innovative solutions was irresistible, and I knew that engineering was the path for me.”
After she had completed her MEng studies, she went on to get a PhD in social science which focused on human factors, as this helped her merge both qualifications to bring a diverse perspective to the field.
She graduated with 1st Class Honours in MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Management, Awarded by Imperial College London, UK.
It was now time for her to start her professional engineering career. During her studies, she heard about Professional Registration titles. She initially thought it was for those with exceptional technical skills, so she began her research into becoming a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Driving her career forward
Evona began working at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), where she would scan market trends and technological advancements and have team meetings to align priorities and discuss progression on collaboration on different projects.
To prepare for her Chartered Engineer title, Evona had to make a strategic career move. She went from working on infotainment to taking the lead on a technical project within Special Vehicle Operation. This broadened her horizons where she was working on the vehicle as a whole, rather than on separate components as she was before.
Taking on this role gave her a deeper understanding of how various systems work, it also helped her grow her soft skills.
“The new role presented me with exciting challenges that pushed me out of my comfort zone, such as leading a team to bring a vision to life, collaborating with suppliers, managing budgets, and overseeing the entire project management lifecycle from planning to launch.”
After honing her leadership and collaboration skills by managing a project, communicating effectively and delegating tasks, she felt confident to lead other successful projects and take the next steps in her career journey.
Following the road to CEng
After 5 years of developing her skills, Evona spoke with a Professional Registration Advisor (PRA). Her PRA explained the process of Professional Registration with the IET and helped Evona put together her draft application. After doing some research, she found that the IET had more diverse key competencies that aligned perfectly with her skills.
“This realisation reinvigorated my journey toward achieving chartership, making it clear that I was more than capable of earning this prestigious recognition.”
As well as step-by-step guidance from her PRA, the IET also held events within her place of work at JLR. These sessions would go into detail on the process helping those looking to apply understand and get clarification.
“This proactive engagement from the IET made a significant difference, ensuring we were well-informed and confident as we navigated the application process.”
When going for her Professional Registration interview, Evona’s was in person, which she found more effective as she was able to interact with the interviewers. She took a product that she had created with her which helped them understand her presentation. She tells us this made it easier for her to explain her work as well as helping with her nerves.
When asked what advice she would give to someone going in for their interview, she responded with, “Remember that the interviewers are there to help you clarify any gaps in your application. Adopting this mindset can significantly calm your nerves and make the experience more positive and constructive.”
The significance of earning CEng
We asked Evona why she wanted to take the next steps in her career to become Professionally Registered, she told us “Earning the CEng title would validate my expertise and provide tangible proof of my accomplishments in a male-dominated industry.”
Having the CEng title meant more than the next step to Evona. It represented a milestone in her professional career, showcasing her dedication, hard work and diverse skills.