Charlotte Lowles is a Placement Student at Edwards, part of the Atlas Copco Group, working within the Vacuum Technique Technology Department. Currently gaining hands-on engineering experience, Charlotte supports her team across a range of technical projects while developing her confidence working independently in an industrial environment.
Now that you’ve met Charlotte, let’s hear directly from her. From navigating her first real “adulting” moments at work to finding balance, building confidence, and discovering what really motivates her, here’s what Charlotte had to say about her placement journey so far.
What’s the one moment in your early careers journey that made you think, ‘Yeah… I’m actually doing this’?
"That first big moment for me was when I was in my first week at the company, it was a combination of little things that all together made me feel a sense of achievement that I am doing what I aimed to do. Taking apart pumps by myself, joining in team meetings and being in control of my own project made me feel a part of the company.
There were people who helped me along the way, but it was not the same as I had experienced before where you had to be observed, in this role I was responsible for myself, and I was trusted with it. That trust in my skills to work independently made me feel like I am doing it."
What was the biggest surprise about starting your first full‑time role?
"The biggest surprise for me was the free time I gained. At University I would finish lectures and then work all throughout the evening and on weekends. Working full time, you are not doing all that extra work outside, even though I sometimes check my emails or do the odd thing, it is nowhere near as much work. I have loved the healthier work life balance that full time affords, and I will hopefully encourage it more in my final year at university."
What’s your go to hack for staying on top of work, learning, and life without burning out?
"My number one hack that I recommend to anyone is to keep yourself accountable. I keep a weekly planner that I write in each day with the work I completed, and I also plan what I need to do next. This helps give me an overview of how much I am doing and to help keep track of things. When things pile up it can cause tasks to slip through the cracks, so it is important to be on top of it before it is on top of you.
I also believe doing activities outside of work that make you happy is helpful for not burning out, sometimes if you have had a challenging day, having something to look forward to can really help push you through and continue going."
How did you figure out what you actually wanted to do or are you still figuring it out?
"I personally fell into engineering on a bit of a whim; I had planned for a couple years leading up to my A levels that I wanted to be an Astrophysicist as growing up I had a passion for STEM and was enticed by the study of space.
During my A levels I realised through studying the subject that I was not passionate for the theory but actually the practicality in which things work which led me to try engineering, a choice which I have been grateful for ever since."
