What was your prime motivator for following this study path?
I graduated from the University of Hull in 2005 with a BSc Physics and Medical Technology. Unsure what I wanted to do for a career, I decided to continue with study. I completed my MSc Radiation and Environmental Protection at the University of Surrey in 2006.
I had heard about AMEC through the strong links that the company has with the Masters course and the feedback from previous graduates who now worked for AMEC was excellent. Even one of the guest lecturers on the course was from AMEC.
What happened next?
I applied to AMEC half way through my Masters year and started two weeks after I handed in my dissertation. I chose AMEC over other companies because of the excellent graduate scheme. The scheme gives you the opportunity to gain site experience, move around the company and provides you the development opportunities and a mentor to help work toward Chartership. There are many graduates on the scheme and the company ensures you get the opportunity to meet at training and social events. This definitely helped when moving to a new city and starting a job. I completed the graduate scheme in 2008, when I was awarded Graduate Trainee of the Year.
How has your career developed since then and what have been the highlights?
I work in the Radiological and Environmental Team and have worked on a range of projects for a variety of clients. I initially learnt a great deal of operational Health Physics, AMEC has its own radiochemistry laboratories so there was opportunity to gain hands on experience from day one and very quickly I found myself working at different sites around the country, doing one off tasks or participating in larger projects. I preferred the technical aspects of the work for my long-term career and gained a placement in a client’s office being mentored in the areas of radiological safety and consequences for operating power stations.
Do you feel that you have been well supported in your career to date?
I have now been working in this area for a few years and have established myself both at AMEC and with clients. AMEC is giving me the opportunity to learn about the different disciplines that feed into my work and into Safety Cases by giving me opportunities to be mentored on small tasks outside of my main discipline. This gives me a broader knowledge which helps immediately with the work I carry out and also helps my future career aspirations. I am responsible engineer for various projects, and also involved in Safety Cases at a higher level.