Case studies: Mechanical engineer: Dan

Dan graduated from Newcastle University in 2006 with an MEng in Mechanical and Automotive Engineering. He works for Alstom Power Service Plant Engineering.

I put a considerable amount of effort into job applications during my final year of university, following advice from a friend who is an experienced engineer. It was worth it though as I was fortunate enough to have two job offers. I was pleased to be able to choose the one that I preferred. Since I had a job and start date confirmed, I made plans and enjoyed a ‘final summer of freedom’.

Initially, I thought the power industry would be a good starting point to become a design engineer for a renewable energy company. Now I understand that, in terms of climate change, it is also important to improve fossil plant performance in addition to wind and wave power because it is more effective in the short term at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. I find the scale of power station machinery impressive. The industry benefits from a degree of job security and there are currently a lot of opportunities for career development. I don’t know exactly what I will be doing in five years' time but I expect that I will be working on a big project with many technical challenges.

I enjoyed doing the Alstom Power Service Engineering Graduate Training Scheme. There was some moving around, as you would expect with a global company. The varied work with different technologies and meeting lots of people was an important part of the training. It gave me an appreciation for all types of engineering jobs, which was important for when I had to decide on a permanent role. The scheme included a Graduate Development Programme, where we were taught soft skills, many of which I use every day. It also included an interesting team business project that I led and which continues to be implemented now.

The Alstom Power Service Engineering Graduate Training Scheme is accredited with the IMechE and this was one of my reasons for applying. You are expected to work towards becoming chartered and the company is supportive. In addition to the three-month placements that are arranged, the company provides you with a mentor and pays the IMechE electronic Monitored Professional Development Scheme fees (eMPDS). It can be time consuming to stay up to date with the reports, but I think it is beneficial to become chartered and eMPDS provides an excellent framework for gaining expertise in different areas.

For my final job, I decided to work for Alstom Power Service Plant Engineering. I work on balance of plant components, for example pumps, heat exchangers and valves. This is varied and I am building up my technical experience. I am also involved with large projects improving plant performance. This work requires an understanding of the theory so that design work and calculations can be undertaken. I find it interesting and enjoy using maths to solve problems. I am happy because I have a job that is secure in a large organisation that is well managed and has opportunities in the UK and all over the world. I enjoy working with friendly and capable people on challenging projects that make a difference.

My advice to aspiring engineers would be to do as many applications as you can. I think that the more you do the better the job you will get in the end. This is because you will improve with each application and understand more about engineering work as you read about the companies you apply for. There is a lot of support at university and many opportunities to ask people their advice. If you can be flexible about your location, it will mean there are more companies and jobs to choose from. No one really knows whether they will enjoy a particular job until they actually do it so it is good to be open-minded.