Q&A: Designer Christopher Tan reflects on his first year at IMEG

Q. In 50 words or less, tell us your life story.

A. I was born and raised in southern California and graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in aerospace engineering. I’ve always somehow felt that I would end up an engineer, and here I am in my first real engineering job.

 

Q. Tell us about an accomplishment or project that you are particularly proud of since starting at IMEG.

A. My mentor was gracious enough to let me take on my own project after I’d gained enough experience. I handled everything from client relations, site visits, and designs. It was a small project, but the sense of responsibility (and not screwing it up) was huge.

 

Q. What is one work/life lesson you’ve learned early in your career?

A. If it takes less than five minutes to do, just do it now.

 

Q. What excites you most about your career?

A. Two things:

1) How much I don’t know what I don’t know. There’s always something new to learn.

2) Eventually making a name for myself and gaining the trust of clients

 

Q. How do you spend your free time?

A. My free time is evenly split between indoor and outdoor activities. I enjoy taking hikes and going to the beach regularly. I also practice Krav Maga (a self-defense system) and fly drones. When I’m not doing that stuff, I’ll usually be inside tinkering with my 3D printer, playing PC games, or binging Netflix shows.

 

Q. If you weren’t a mechanical engineer, what would you choose to be and why?

A. Definitely a pilot. For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with airplanes and originally planned to become a commercial pilot – I even have some flight hours under my belt.