My Dashboard / Career Heroes / Jordan Eakins

Career Heroes - Jordan Eakins

Job title

Quality Engineer

Tell us more about you

I'm 24 years old and I live in Kilkeel. I enjoy travelling, seeing new places, and going to concerts / music venues. I have two dogs; a Rottweiler and a Pug, and I enjoy taking them for walks in Mourne Park and in the mountains surrounding Kilkeel. In the summertime, I spend time at the beach, kayaking, and paddle boarding.

What kind of work do you do?

Each day, I start by catching up on any emails that I may have received overnight. Then I review spreadsheets that highlight any materials or parts that are needed as a priority for the production lines, but that may not be accessible for a range of reasons. I then review my workload for the day and prioritise my actions, this could include carrying out contract preparation to ensure product spec agreements are in place and signed by customers, or reviewing old customer complaints and ensuring they are resolved, conducting stock checks, organising vendor feedback, putting materials through goods-in inspections, communicating with customers, and carrying out any other ad hoc tasks that come up throughout the day.

Top 5 Skills & Attributes Needed for your job

I'm based onsite and I work in an office environment but also spend time on production lines. There is an area of the business that reviews rejected parts and material, and I also work there day to day. For me this is a benefit because I’m not based at my desk all day. I get the chance to interact with other people and production teams. This allows me to build better relationships with all the team members and work together to solve issues as they arise.

How did you become a Quality Engineer?

My first job was as a Factory Operator for the summer when I was 16. I operated different presses and metal forming machines to prepare materials for assembly. I also worked with a local hardware company. I learned a lot about materials and the applications of different hardware, and I also passed my forklift test.

After my GCSEs, I completed a BTEC L3 in Engineering, as well as A Levels in Sport and Technology and Design. I then moved to Coventry where I studied an Engineering Foundation Degree and progressed to complete a degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering at Coventry University. During my degree I also completed a placement year with Collins Aerospace as a Quality Engineer Intern.

I've always been interested in engineering and how stuff works but I didn’t know exactly what pathway to take. I chose a combined engineering pathway, studying electromechanical engineering allowed me to get a broader understanding.

What you do enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy problem solving and finding the right path forward. There are always challenges to overcome and improvements that can be made. It's not always straightforward in identifying the correct route but I enjoy working through the problem, collecting all of the information, and trialling and testing different solutions, all working towards identifying the best solution. That gives a lot of satisfaction.

I also enjoy how each day is different. There are some aspects of the job that are repetitive, like any job, but most days are different with new problems arriving and different people to work with.

If you could do-over, What would you do differently?

I would look at other pathways such as Higher Level Apprenticeships. These allow you to get a lot of experience within the role, whilst being able to earn money, whereas a university degree does not.

What advice would you give someone starting out on their career jouney today?

Enjoy your journey through education and the university experience (if you choose it) but set time aside to manage your workload. It’s easy to get distracted and fall behind, so you need to have self-discipline to keep up with your studies.