How did you get into what you do?

Growing up, I always had a passion for becoming a pioneer in the built environment. However, I was not sure if I wanted to become an engineer or an architect, which resulted in me reading architectural engineering at university. University has given me the insight I needed to choose between the two careers. Four years and many drunken nights later, I find myself at Phoenix as a Building Services Engineer / Building Physics Engineer. I hope to learn as much as I can whilst I am at PME and eventually become a pioneering engineer and innovate new solutions for the built environment.

How has your career progressed since?

Upon joining PME, the amount of learning I have had is exponential. This is thanks to the Design Department, who have surrounded me with intelligent and experienced engineers, who are willing to mentor and guide me through a transitional period between academia and the professional world. Since joining, I have been involved with three projects. The amount of responsibility and involvement in each project has increased exponentially from the first to the current project due to various circumstances. I see this as a chance to learn and grow as an engineer, being exposed to most facets of Building Services.

What skills do you need to be good at your job?

I think, as per my current role of graduate engineer, the skills required to be good are: organisation, time management, communication, and problem-solving.

What do you enjoy most about your current role at Phoenix?

Learning from more experienced engineers, problem-solving or finding alternative solutions to a problem, collaborating with building physicists to deliver a design for various projects.

Why is the Design Department important in our business?

The Design Department is important as we support the bidding team, review early designs at the tendering stage, and assess if projects are compliant with building regulations.

How do you challenge yourself to reach new heights?

By continuous learning. Attending seminars delivered by CIBSE for their fellows and members. Going to conventions, talking to manufacturers, and making valuable connections. Visiting universities and learning from researchers regarding findings they have had in regard to the industry. These findings will then be used for designing projects or where it is necessary. Actively involving myself in projects and not settling for the typical ‘graduate’ tasks, making myself an integral part of the team on a project.

What has been your proudest achievement at Phoenix so far?

Delivering the first in-house building model and simulation for a project located in East Anglia. This part of the design would have been subcontracted prior to myself joining and Phoenix adopting a specialist environmental department.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into what you do?

Resilience, attentiveness, and proactivity are a few qualities that I think one would need to get into what I do, especially after graduating. Some may think that learning is finished after graduating, however, in actuality, you should continue to learn post-academia. Coming to a company like PhoenixME, you will need to be keen to learn to be able to thrive; otherwise, you will have a slow progression as an engineer.

Why Phoenix?

I believe that PhoenixME will provide me with a holistic overview of the industry with great depth and breadth through different projects that I will be working on. Had I gone to slightly bigger companies like AECOM, Atkins, or Arup, the amount of learning I believe I would get in their graduate schemes is not even a fraction of what I will learn within a year at PME. Moreover, the amount of projects and the nature of contribution to these projects is probably more at PME than the others. Being exposed to these tasks and projects is very important for me, as these are valuable experiences that’ll help me become a better engineer.

What Phoenix value resonates most with you?

The values that resonate with me the most are Ambition and Innovation. I believe that each one complements the other. Ambition is one of the fuels for innovating solutions in our industry. My ambition is to become a pioneering engineer in the future. To achieve this, innovative solutions and/or technology will need to be utilised.