What I do:

Roadworker - DFI Roads Service

I worked as a road worker in Swindon for seven years before moving home to Northern Ireland. I've been employed at Road Service's Rathmore Depot in Antrim since gaining employment here.

I have previously worked in hotel management and then as a street warden for Swindon Council but jumped at the chance to become a road worker as I have always been into lorries and machines and enjoyed working in the open air. Every day is different, my work can involve strimming and side filling or I can be gritting, patching or digging outlets to clear flooding. I enjoy the variety of work and the satisfication I get from seeing a job completed. I also like the emergency response work as the public are so glad to see you coming out to help them in their hour of need.

Although I work in a traditionally male dominated job I haven't had any problems - sometimes loading the lorry can be a problem because of my height, but there's always someone around willing to help. I would recommend this type of work to other women considering a career as a road worker and would advise them to do all the training courses they can and to remember that its not a weakness to ask for help. In the future I would like to get a BTEC and become a Civil Engineer.