Ji Young Yoon, Mechanical Workshop Technician, Department of Bioengineering

What is your role?

My current role in the Department of Bioengineering involves providing mechanical engineering consultancy, design and manufacturing services supporting teaching, undergraduate students, postgraduate students and research. I work with a wide range of stakeholders including academic, research and technical staff, postgraduate and undergraduate students, college technical staff, external companies, specialist equipment suppliers, and sub-contractors.  I am heavily involved in supporting students with their project work. Not only do I support and advise the students on their designs and manufacturing components for their projects, but I also do assessments and give feedback on group presentations (where students present their background research and planned designs) as well as final project demonstrations (where students showcase their finished prototypes alongside a poster). I host students within the mechanical workshop, where I am responsible for teaching and supervision of both mechanical techniques utilising hand tools and complex machinery, as well as teaching in CAD and principles of good product design. 

Since the pandemic, I have been making COVID-19 safety related items for the department. I have been willing to learn new skills during this difficult time to support the department and have been trained on things like cryostorage and website management, which are not my usual duties.  To support teaching, I have been assigned as a module tutor for 1st year undergraduate design and professional practice. I am currently in the process of making video lessons so that students can learn basic knowledge remotely.

What was your career journey before this role?

I graduated from the University of Iowa, in the United States, in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.  Since graduating, I have worked at different organisations as a manufacturing and design engineer. Before joining Imperial, I mainly worked in a commercial environment. I worked for Mission Critical OEM Manufacturing Plant, where I was responsible for revising the parent company's concept design into a production-ready design. Next, I worked for Advanced Design and Manufacturing company, where I was a manufacturing engineer and worked directly with different clients, managing production, budget and ensuring profitability. The company was embedded in a medical and biomedical research campus and I helped with product development, bringing initial ideas to mass production designs. I used various CAD and CAM software, 3D Printers, 3D scanners, CNC machines to create prototypes. I designed and created moulds and did vacuum casting, and induction thermal casting of different metals. I worked closely with University projects from departments of Engineering, Biomedical Science, Orthopaedics, and Public Health, among others.  I helped clients keep design goals and achieve both cost and time efficiency. Experience of working with a wide range of projects helped me to think outside of the box and develop a creative approach to solving problems.

What do you enjoy most about your role at Imperial?

Here at Imperial, I always have something interesting and exciting to do. I like taking part in the Engineering Design Project course for second-year undergraduate students. I like to teach, provide feedback and assess student projects. I feel most rewarded when I know I am able to help and transfer knowledge to different people. In the end, the reason I enjoy working at the University is because this is where people come to learn and share knowledge. I am constantly challenged by different projects that that the Department of Bioengineering brings to me. I like that it is a multidisciplinary department and I can be creative approaching the challenges that the role brings.

What are the challenges?

As much as I enjoy a challenge, working in a multidisciplinary department can be challenging. It requires me to meet people who are doing quite different types of research. I have to quickly gather important information in a short timeframe and deliver successful outcomes. I am the only mechanical engineer and the primary contact for all mechanical projects in the department. Therefore, I do feel that I need to do my best to support the department's needs. The level of detail in my work is very high - not just from a mechanical perspective, but also in terms of interaction within biological systems with very little margin for error.

Why would you encourage people to consider this career?

I think that all roles in society can make an important contribution. Engineers solve problems. If you enjoy challenges and solving problems, you should consider being an engineer. There are so many engineers specialised in what they do. This career path is very open and unlimited. All of my friends who graduated with a mechanical engineering degree are working in different industries now but in the end, we are all solving problems. It is an exciting field and provides you with constant challenges. It is rewarding when you know you contribute to society.

What advice would you give to somebody starting out?

Be open minded with everything that you do. Even if it is something you never thought of doing, different experiences enable you to think creatively. Sometimes, they open new opportunities and experiences that you would not get if you settled for one task. It is important to keep learning, as things change quickly and you don’t want to approach things the same way for many years. A career in engineering surrounds you with people with different skills, backgrounds, and ideas.

 Are there courses or other development opportunities at Imperial that you would recommend to others?

I am close to finishing Imperial Leadership and Management Development Programme and I have completed the Supporting Learning and Teaching Pathway, which I highly recommend. I found it helpful as my role is a student facing role and involves teaching. There are so many courses available to staff at Imperial and I recommend taking advantage of this!

I have recently started an MSc in Engineering Management with the University of Leeds, which incorporates a Chartered Management Institute Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership. Upon completion, I will be eligible to apply for Chartered Manager status (CMgr). I considered a senior leadership apprenticeship, which is available to Imperial staff, but opted for a more engineering focused program. So far, I have completed 3 foundation modules where I learned how to effectively manage innovation, finance, business strategy. It has been challenging but great learning so far. Working full-time and doing an MSc is not an easy task but I am learning to find the balance of working, studying, and also finding time for breaks. For the past 3 modules, I was able to manage and I am sure people who are interested in working and studying can do the same. If you are thinking to develop and expand your knowledge and want to challenge yourself,  I suggest exploring the courses available through the Learning and Development Centre or speaking to the Apprenticeships Manager about different apprenticeship programmes.