Chartered Territory – My Career So Far
From apprentice to Chartered Engineer, how do I begin to explain my journey into building services engineering?
Before I dive into my experiences, I’m really encouraged to see that there are more opportunities than ever to embark on a rewarding and varied career in engineering. Like me, you don’t have to go down the traditional route to reap the rewards in this multi-disciplined field.
At 16 I left school after my GCSEs and enrolled in college on an electrician course. I soon found a local apprenticeship and spent the next three years being mentored by senior electricians. I worked on various projects from commercial offices to factories and domestic houses.
After I was awarded my ‘City and Guilds Level 3 in Electrical Installations’ I decided to go back to college to do a testing and inspection qualification which gave me my Approved Electrician status.
Going from the ‘apprentice’ to ‘Approved Electrician’ was a big step for me. I had the responsibility of managing my own projects and mentoring new apprentices. The trust instilled in me at a young age gave me great self-belief and motivation.
GETTING MY HEAD DOWN
At this stage I decided to specialise in an aspect of Electrical Engineering and accepted a position with a lighting control manufacturer as a Commissioning Engineer. I would travel between sites and commission bespoke lighting control systems. I was fortunate enough to also be involved in elements of R&D for new products which increased my interest in innovations.
I really wanted to explore how I could incorporate this even more in my day job, which is why I decided to do a self-funded distance learning HNC in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, whilst working full time. This took a huge amount of self-discipline. After two years I graduated, and although I hadn’t been to university, I caught the bug and wanted to continue my academic career alongside my professional one.
A Junior Electrical Engineer position with Cudd Bentley Consulting was offered to me in the summer of 2013. The company committed to putting me through my Building Services Degree on a day release basis. Over the next three years I spent the majority of my weekends and evenings buried in textbooks revising for the next exam or completing my coursework. This was challenging and getting a work/study/life balance was tough. But I had a goal and I was determined.
I graduated with first-class honours thanks to the support of Cudd Bentley, friends and colleagues.
HARD GRAFT IS WORTHWHILE
During my time at Cudd Bentley I have gained promotions from a Junior Engineer to Associate Director. I have been mentored by some exceptional engineers with a wealth of experience. I now have the privilege of mentoring other staff members and imparting my knowledge to them.
Gaining the hands-on experience from working on the tools has given me a great foundation for a successful career in a design office. The valuable skills I learnt early on in my career I still apply today.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
My goal was always to become a Chartered Engineer. With the assistance of my fellow supporters and diverse experience gained at Cudd Bentley, I achieved this through the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in 2019.
Becoming a Chartered Engineer was always my end vision. Now that I have reached this milestone I am going to enjoy it and see what doors naturally open. Personally, I’m taking on some new challenges and have signed up for my first marathon, as well as becoming a new parent soon. No rest for the wicked as they say.
Where could your engineering journey take you? There are so many routes into this profession, and like me you too could experience a hugely rewarding career. Get in touch with me via my LinkedIn or keep an eye out in industry forums for advice and mentoring opportunities.
