As part of ‘Careers Week’ both myself and Ryan Davies interviewed Ayse Colak who is a communications engineer.

What is your favourite part of your career and why?

I am working for my dream company. I studied electronic and communication engineering, but I am mostly interested in the communication part. I find the sky very exciting and I establish communication links between the sky and the ground.

How long have you worked for TT&C?

I have been working for them for 5 months. Do you prefer Turkey or Wales and why? It is my first experience of working in Wales, but I can compare both countries because one of my friends is working as a TT&C engineer in Turkey. He doesn’t have enough chances to do practical work. In Wales, I get lots of opportunities to launch robots into the sky and read the data it transmits. His job is mostly software, I am happy to be doing both sides (software and hardware).

What is the most interesting thing you have discovered in the sky?

Clouds are extremely heavy. They can contain millions of tons of water.

How long did it take you to get where you are today?

I studied for 5 years for my Bachelor degree, 1 year for my Masters and then I had this job opportunity.

How much can you earn in your job?

It is approximately £28-35k per year (as a full-time graduate engineer). This is for when you just start. When you have more experience, you can earn more.

Are there many girls in your job?

Not many. I studied my Bachelor degree in Turkey and in my class more than 50% were girls. I did my Master in Cardiff and there were only 2 girls in the class. In my company, I am the only girl but there is one more girl who works in the Spanish office. Why do you think your job is important? I think “communication” explains the importance of my job. Even the idea of creating your own communication link is incredible. Cloud-based communication is the future.

If you are interested in a career in STEM, speak to your Science teacher for more information.