Tan Eu Gene
Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Electronic Engineering
Class of March 2008

I am working in Doha, Qatar as an engineer. I am currently involved in an airport project known as New Doha International Airport (NDIA). I have been in Qatar for about one and a half year.

My job scope is to construct an Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL) system for aircraft to land, maneuver and take off. There are about 12000 light points with different colours that provide signals for pilots to determine which route to follow in the system.

My daily routine involves discussion with clients on technical aspects, reviewing engineering documents and drawings, interfacing with other contractors (the airport has about 35 contractors), inspecting site works, developing engineering drawings and also monitoring site progress.

Working on an international project has been a great opportunity for me to learn and explore things that would not be possible back home. Everyday, we will be meeting people from different countries and background.

Lately, I was given a project to oversee the electrical installations for Airfield which I would say, is a very taxing yet rewarding job. One of the interesting beats in my daily routine is to communicate with sub-contractors from European countries such as Belgium, France and UK. Even though we speak English among ourselves, getting accustomed to their accents is always a challenge. Sitting in a conference room with Asians and Europeans, speaking in their own accents while trying to reach a mutual agreement, is always an interesting challenge.

My biggest challenge is not about the engineering complexity, which is what I have always thought, but is to convince my clients to accept my products and design proposals. Being the new kid on the block, I always have to strategize my presentations in such a way that can gain my clients' trust. There was once that I had to make a phone call to Dubai to send me a piece of ISO certificate just to get the approval for a pipe.

My advice to all the juniors at UTAR is "Never ever underestimate yourself and get rid of the inferiority complex in you. Things might not be as difficult as it seems". It is not how much you know but how much you are willing to sacrifice to achieve your dream.