Huzaifa Rehan

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

My University was located in a small town in the northern area of Pakistan. It was supposed to be the best engineering university in the country. I didn't have many opportunities to step out of my university and take part in extra-cirricular activites. So the students build their own technical, sport teams inside the walls of the institute. I was always into sports, so the first thing I did was enjoy the most active sports team. That decision practically steered my life into a much better place. I never knew what it was like to be part of the team for four consecutive years. I never knew what it meant to be a team player. The amount of soft skills that i learned whilst being part of that team is so beyond the skills i learned in a classroom.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

As a mechanical engineer you can step into a plethora of fields and showcase your skills. For the first 2 years of my professional career I worked in a food manufacturing plant taking care of the machines that produced and packaged the food.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

In Pakistan if you are slightly good in maths you'll eventually end up in an engineering field. I like to think that I always knew that I was going to be a mechanical engineer but looking back I know i did not make the wrong decision but i wish i would have explored other options as well.