What the senior people sayOur senior people have come to us through many varied routes — some joined at the beginning of their careers, some later. What they say about the organisation reflects the strong emphasis we place on supporting people's personal and professional development. We consistently rank highly in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies list.
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Kate, 29, has been with us longer than her age suggests — her first encounter with the company was for work experience while she was still in Sixth Form. She returned for summer placements throughout college and joined us full time on graduation, achieving Chartered Engineer status in October 2007.
So far, she's never been tempted to move on. It's not just the opportunities — the range of our projects, nationally and internationally — that continues to make her career satisfying. It's also our working culture.
"There's a sense of openness that means you never stop increasing your understanding. You can discuss anything with anybody — the guy next to you, your boss, his boss, a director, someone from another discipline ... The people who work here are interested in engineering, rather than in a nine-to-five job."
Mohsen, 43, says he was already "very happy" where he was when we approached him to discuss opportunities. We argued that setting up a specialist team for us would take his career to a different level. Three years on, is he glad he made the leap?
"It's been fantastic! From only me, there are now eleven in the department — and the portfolio of jobs just keeps expanding. There may be other places to work — but here it's active, interesting, challenging ... it's a good place to be, and to grow."
Mary, 38, was looking for a career change when she came to us as a temporary secretary.
After landing a permanent job as PA to two directors she moved on to assist our Company Secretary, who encouraged her to study for chartered secretary status. It took hard work and some long hours, but in 2007 she qualified fully in her new role.
"Working here, I have gained a professional qualification I would not otherwise have had. I was lucky to work for someone who is a fantastic, generous teacher — who has an enormous amount of knowledge that he is always willing to share. Now, I try to encourage others."
Terry, 36, cheerfully admits that much of his career happened by accident. At 15, he thought he'd get a job in a drafting office and ended up doing a B-tech instead. He liked it so much he skipped A-levels and went straight into his degree. He then spent six years in the construction industry before he heard about us.
"They put me straight into two meetings on the first day and it was, 'Welcome to the company!' There are always opportunities here for people who want to grab them."
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