Dag Sisay
“As a kid, all I would do was play with Lego, building bridges and skyscrapers. Then I got a bit older and was fascinated with figuring out how things actually worked. ”
What triggered your interest in engineering?
As a kid, all I would do was play with Lego, building bridges and skyscrapers. Then I got a bit older and was fascinated with figuring out how things actually worked. Unfortunately for my mum, this meant I would take apart her clocks, radios and so on – you name it, I broke it! It wasn’t until I was in sixth form that I realised my passion was infrastructure and civil engineering. Kind of like my Lego, just bigger!
What made you want to join Metis?
I actually did an internship at Metis before my last year at uni. Working in the highways team, I had a chance to work with some of the smartest (and coolest) people in the industry and have a tangible impact on the city where I was born and raised. I was also given actual responsibilities – not just making coffees! On day 2, I was given my own project to work on. The second week, I went to my first client meeting. By week 8, I had already been to my first client meeting alone!
What do you see as the biggest challenge in your role?
Choosing between a tea or coffee in the mornings.
What are your ambitions for professional development?
I would like to become a chartered engineer and know everything there is to know about highways!
What has been your favourite project to work on so far?
One of my first projects after graduating involved walking around the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the summer and collecting footway condition data. Then I took this information, analysed which defects Tower Hamlets were having issues with on their network and came up with recommendations for maintenance schemes. The coolest thing about this project was the next time I was in Tower Hamlets, I saw some of these schemes had actually been built.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I like going to the gym and enjoy playing basketball on the weekends.
What message would you pass on to students thinking about pursuing a career in engineering?
Make sure you go to your lectures!
