Name: Payal Naidu
Program: Mechanical Engineering
University(s) / College(s) Attended: University of Alberta & Johns Hopkins University
Education / Degree(s): Bachelor’s and Master’s
Current Job Title: Inspection Engineer
Current Employer: Imperial Oil Canada
Email: Send Email
Fun Facts About Me
Share one fun fact about yourself: One fun fact about me is I love climbing. That includes bouldering, top rope, lead and ice climbing!
Profile Questions
Why did you choose to study engineering?: Growing up, I always had a great mechanical aptitude. My parents would always default to me when they needed someone to fix something and most of the time, I would just somehow be able to figure out what the problem was. Throughout high school, I found I really just enjoyed problem-solving, and finding creative solutions to those problems. I was also the kid who always wanted to keep learning more, asking the teachers “why” every time I was curious about something in my science classes. I chose mechanical engineering because it embodies everything that I was passionate about growing up including problem-solving, mechanical analysis, and creating new and innovative solutions. Engineering is also a career that offers life-long learning, so there is always more to uncover, and allows me to keep asking “why”.
How do you apply your engineering degree to your current career?: I currently apply a lot of the materials knowledge and a little bit of my mechanical knowledge from my engineering degree. At my job, I have to ensure that the materials that we use are up to company standards as well as national and international standards. I am able to perform mechanical analysis to ensure that the equipment used maintains high mechanical integrity and quality to ensure safe and reliable operation.
What do you love most about your career?: What I love most about my career is that no two days are the same, there is always something new for me to encounter. I also love that mechanical engineering is so versatile that moving forward, I have a wide variety of paths I could go down.
What advice would you give to someone hoping to pursue a career in engineering?: Engineering requires a lot of hard work and dedication and the best way to pursue a career in the field is to make sure that you try to obtain these skills early on. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you are curious about something, keep pushing to learn more. Talk to people in different engineering fields to try to see which field you would be most interested in.