Orla Murphy: audio engineer at Jaguar Land Rover

I have always loved science and problem solving.

24 March 2016

I am an audio engineer at Jaguar Land Rover. I completed a Masters of Engineering degree in Electronics with Music at the University of Glasgow, and now I use both aspects of my degree in my day to day job, optimising the listening experience and developing audio features in cars. In December 2015 I was awarded the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year. So far it has been a great adventure, judging national science competitions, doing talks on Engineering and diversity, and trying to engage as many young people, and especially young women as possible to encourage them to consider a career in engineering.

I have always loved science and problem solving. I grew up on a farm in Ireland and everyone in my family was really interested in how the world works. I also always played music from a young age.

I think engineering is a really exciting field as it is all about problem solving, tackling serious issues and changing the world by improving the lives of people in it. It is inspiring to think of the advances made in industry every year, for example new medicines, infrastructure, and the rapid development of technology, and how this influences of peoples everyday lives. When I was a child people wrote letters, now people send messages instantly across the world. So it is exciting to think of the possibilities and development in years to come. A job in engineering is forever evolving and there is never a dull moment!

Photo credit: Alisdair Cusick