Semcon StoriesProduct Development
The love of solving a problem
Since Esraa Al-Rubaye was little, she wanted to become an engineer, since she loved both math and solving all kinds of problems. She came to Sweden for the first time in 2008 and has gone from an internship at Semcon to being employed as a Design Engineer at our office in Karlskrona. This is her story about overcoming difficulties and doing what she loves.
I grew up in Bagdad, Iraq and as a child, the most beautiful thing for me was when I was faced with a difficult question. I could not stop of thinking until I could find the solution. Even if it took me a long time, like a week or more.
So solving problems was thrilling for me. Even in college, in my most difficult subjects (static and dynamic) the professor gave us fifty questions a week to solve and I loved it. I was thinking about the solutions even when I was asleep. Sometimes I woke up in the middle of the night to write down a solution I came up with when I was asleep.
I came to Sweden in 2008, and then went back to Iraq in 2014. Since 2017, I’ve been back in Sweden for good. I left Iraq because of the troubles in the country. I first got an internship at Semcon in 2014 and again in the autumn of 2018. Here at Semcon, my first task was to find a solution for a machine that needed to be reconstructed. During the course of solving the issues, I have made some mistakes. But to me, the important things is that I know what those mistakes are and how I treat them and learn from them.
Important to continue to learn
Nobody knows everything. As long as we are alive, we continue to learn and we must continue to want to learn. To me, it’s also apparent that no matter how much difficulties we face, we must not stop. We must keep thinking until we find the best solution possible.
In my role as a Design Engineer, it is really important to have all information about the product, what the customer needs and the purpose of product. Whether the project includes a new design or redesign the biggest challenge is usually to choose the right kind of material, metal, with the appropriate dimensions that fit the conditions, environment and conditions for the product. I like the most complex designs where I really have to think about the solution.
I am so happy that I, despite difficulties in my past, have found my way back to doing what I love – being an engineer. It is an opportunity that I will never waste. My only aim now is to be the best I can be and to keep going, because giving up is not an option.
About Esraa
Title: Design Engineer
Education: Master degree in Production techniques
Worked at Semcon since: February 2019
I have most fun at work when I...: get to work with my really smart colleagues and learn a lot in our projects.
