Paul Haimes from PTC discusses career progression and the recent changes to engineering as an industry.
Paul Haimes, vice-president of technical sales in Europe at PTC, understands as well as anyone working in STEM industries that interest in technology often begins in youth.
An early love for all things technical often continues through education and university years, guiding you to a role in the industry.
“For me,” Haimes explains, “it was more around engineering that led into the technology. I went from my A-levels into university studying engineering and then studying industrial design at postgraduate level.
“That education really got my prepared for a job in industry in a manufacturing company, and, in actual fact, my first job was a company that bought Pro/Engineer [PTC product development software] when I was working there.”
This serendipity ended up working in Haimes’s favour and further guided his career interests.
“I then saw the potential for that technology and was fortunate enough to get offered a role in [PTC].
“That’s really led me to a lot of these very leading-edge technologies like internet of things (IoT) and Industry 4.0.”
Haimes isn’t alone in finding these kinds of new innovations in the tech industry to be seriously exciting. He maintains that the likes of IoT are helping to enliven the public interest in engineering as an industry.
“IoT and everything, and the start-up companies and the technology that can support those, that’s giving people a real fresh impetus and a fresh view of what you can do with an engineering career.”
Haimes explains that PTC offers a a “well-structured, well-defined career model that enables people to grow from the junior roles right up to VP and above”.
He added: “The way I think that works, I think if you’re working hard, if you’re working on the right things, doing the right for the company, then you will get recognition.
“As a manager, the people that you hire into the business … making those good hires, bringing very bright, talented people into the company, I think, is something else you get recognised for.
“If you blend that with a bit of hard work, you’re always then going to be at, let’s say, the forefront of the company, and again, getting interesting and challenging roles.”
Updated, 3.10pm, 14 November 2017: This article was updated to correct Paul Haimes’s job title and to change mistaken references to ‘PTC Ireland’ to ‘PTC’.
