Even when working on one project you’re always doing something new each day to get to the same end goal of a high-quality product.
What department do you work in?
Operations
What is your job title?
Project Engineer
What do you do on a day to day basis?
Currently I assist project engineers/managers with their running of jobs where required, as well as running the day-to-day operations of 2no. projects liaising with the site team and builder to deliver a high standard of install. I attend site meetings to discuss progress of these jobs and produce a cost value reconciliation of them bi-monthly to review how the jobs are progressing financially.
How long have you been working for Watkins?
4 years
Have you risen up quickly through the business?
I would say my progress has been steady. We have become much busier in the last 2 years than we were in my first 2 years, so the progress I have made more recently has been much more substantial.
Did you have to do lots of training?
I spent 3 years in total part-time at college doing my 2 qualifications, which were a HNC and HND in Building Services Engineering. There are also opportunities to complete extra courses if I would like to.
Do you get out on site a lot?
In general, I try to get out to our sites 1 or 2 days a week to track progress and keep in touch with both the builders and our site teams. At this current moment in time, I am situated on site 3 days a week at one of our new projects to act as a site-based engineer. This is to be the first point of contact for our clients, as well as our site team, and identify any problems first-hand and put in the processes to rectify them. On a personal level too, this is helping me progress my understanding of site processes and seeing what it actually takes for a project to be completed.
What do you like best about working for Watkins?
Working with the people I do. Whether it be in the office, on site, or people from different suppliers or builders, the people I deal with on a daily basis make it thoroughly enjoyable. There is also a very family-like feel around the company. This is on a personal side as well as I work with my mother, albeit in different departments, but Watkins pride themselves very much on being a family-run company and that shows.
What is your favourite part of your job?
I would say that no two day is the same. Even when working on one project you’re always doing something new each day to get to the same end goal of a high-quality product. It means you’re always on your toes with different things to do each day, so being bored or not having much to do isn’t really an option which I like.
What is next for your career?
I hope to progress as far as I can with Watkins as part of the operations team. I have quite a few aspirations and goals to work towards but I need to continue developing my knowledge and skills and then hopefully I can carry on an upward trajectory within the company.
