Graduate profiles
Stephanie
Joined: September 2009
Qualifications: BA (Hons) Geography, University of Cambridge
Experience gained:
o Transport Risk Assessments
o Nuclear Waste Management
Key training
o AREVA RMC Nuclearisation course
Pros of working for AREVA RMC:
o Opportunity to gain a broad experience of safety and risk management by working with different clients for example in nuclear safety, radioactive waste transport and environmental assessments.
o Working in a small organisation allows you to gain responsibility from early on and to form good working relationships with project managers and other staff members. However there are also opportunities to work internationally if you wish within the AREVA group.
o Career progression at AREVA RMC is based on individual merit and project experience, not time of service. Hence you can work for promotion at your own pace and level.
Why you chose AREVA RMC as opposed to another employer
I chose AREVA RMC because it is a relatively small part of a very large organisation and I wanted to get to know the people I was working with and feel part of a team rather than simply being a ‘cog in a big machine’. However because AREVA RMC is part of the AREVA Group there are opportunities to work in other offices in France or Germany for example to gain international project experience. I wanted to work in consultancy because I liked the idea of varied project work and gaining a broad experience before deciding what I wanted to specialise in later.
How has your role developed and what are your career ambitions?
I have only been at AREVA RMC for 4 months and I have already been exposed to a variety of different risk management related projects; in particular I have enjoyed working on transport risk assessments. However I would very much like to develop my experience further in environmental assessments as I think they will only become more important with the decommissioning of existing nuclear sites as well as assessing the environmental impact of building new nuclear facilities in the UK. My career ambitions are to build up my experience and knowledge of the nuclear industry to eventually become a Principal Consultant or Manager.
What do you enjoy about your job and about working in the sector?
I enjoy working on variety of different projects– every week is different which means I’m learning new skills and working with different people all the time! In particular I have enjoyed seeing how a project progresses from the very early stages when you actually define what the problem is, right through to finding a solution to the problem (or at least some outcome!) and reporting back to the client. Some of the Project Managers I have worked with are inspirational and I always feel comfortable asking questions about anything I don’t understand. Working in consultancy is at times challenging and fast-paced; this makes me work hard to achieve goals and meet deadlines, particularly when other team members depend on me to get my part of the job done.
What are the most challenging parts of your job?
So far the most challenging part of my job has been getting up to speed with the different aspects of the nuclear industry. Having known very little about nuclear energy before I joined I was keen to get to grips with relevant legislation, risk assessment methods and analysis and learn about the key stakeholders within the nuclear industry. All of this background information was provided through the AREVA RMC internal nuclearisation course, which I was able to work through at my own pace. Since completing the course I have been able to consolidate my understanding further by applying my understanding practically in project work as well as undertaking off-site visits to observe processes firsthand.
Finally, what advice would you have for other students and graduates who would like to get into this career?
o You don’t need to have a degree in Physics! There is enough variety in the work that we do at AREVA RMC that you really can choose your career path and where you want to specialise whether it is in radioactive waste management, transport risk, nuclear safety and risk management or environmental assessments.
o Do some nuclear research – the World Nuclear News website is a useful place to start to find out what is going on in the industry.
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Matt
What degree/postgraduate course did you study and where?
I studied Environmental Biology (BSc) at the University of Nottingham and opted to try and get into work straight away rather than spend more time at university doing an MSc or PhD.
How did you get your current job – what were the steps you took from graduation?
After graduation I was still pretty uncertain about what line of work I wanted to get into and spent about six months looking around at what was on offer. My degree covered quite a broad range of subjects and I applied for a variety of different jobs. I found an advertised post at AREVA RMC online through a graduate jobs page link. The job stood out from the others that I applied and had interviews for; the array of different clients and project on offer as well as the package and training for graduates were the biggest incentives for me.
Why you chose AREVA RMC as opposed to another employer
I chose AREVA RMC over the other companies I looked at for the reasons listed in the previous question really; the training and breadth of work opportunities being key. Added to that, the nuclear industry was not something that had occurred to me whilst at university but after looking into the type of work that AREVA RMC do I felt it would be an interesting and rewarding career to get in to.
How has your role developed and what are your career ambitions?
Starting out at first with an environmental background the initial learning curve has been quite steep, but after nearly a year in the company now my knowledge of the nuclear industry has improved dramatically. I have been based down on site with a client for the past six months and this has helped me develop my consultancy skills as well as the skills involved in writing nuclear safety cases. My time in the job has also helped me focus my career ambitions, something which has been conspicuously lacking previously. I would like to tie in my environmental background with all the nuclear experience I am getting to get involved in nuclear waste management and decommissioning projects to eventually specialise as a consultant in this area. More short term ambitions are to continue to develop as I have this year gaining more first-hand experience working with different clients.
What do you enjoy about your job and about working in the sector?
As this has been my first year in the company it has all gone past without pause to think, however I have really enjoyed getting involved in projects right from the start. I have been able to develop my knowledge and skills with a combination of training courses and project experience for several different clients and disciplines. The more I have learnt about the nuclear industry the more I am convinced that it is the area I want to work in. Nuclear power is set to form a key component of the global power mix and the industry is in something of a revival. Growth of the industry should ensure there are plenty of opportunities and new challenges to keep it exciting.
What are the most challenging parts of your job?
As mentioned before, I come from an environmental background so there are areas more closely linked to physics and safety that I have had to learn about quickly; however this has also been one of the more enjoyable aspects too. The main challenge faced working on site with the client for the past six months is working to the requirements of the client and the regulators and tying in both. It also requires adapting to a different style of working, and diplomacy and the ability to read between the lines are key skills. However, this has also given me the opportunity to meet a wide range of people from different areas in the industry and offers an insight into how the work we do ties in with the projects as a whole, from design through to construction.
Finally, what advice would you have for other students and graduates who would like to get into this career?
The career is not one that I would ever have envisaged myself working in even two years ago, however this was due mainly to a lack of knowledge and exposure to it. It is a fact I keep mentioning, but the scope of projects that I now have the potential to get involved with is great. There are so many different skills required that graduates from most scientific backgrounds will find they have something to offer and vice versa. My advice to anyone who is interested in getting into this career is simple; the nuclear industry looks set for years of growth after a lack of interest and investment over the past few decades so now is the time to get involved.
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Alex
What degree/postgraduate course did you study and where?
I graduated from the University of Reading with a first class honours degree in Physics BSc.
How did you get your current job – what were the steps you took from graduation?
In the final year of my degree I spent a long time researching my future career options, both on the internet and using the wide range of material that my University careers centre provided. In addition to this I attended many graduate recruitment events and presentations from prospective employers. One career event that I attended was the Institute of Physics careers fair in London, this was an excellent event for me as all of the companies there were specialised in science and engineering opportunities and it is a good way to see what options are available to you.
It was at this event that I first found out about AREVA RMC, the presenters were really friendly and I liked the look of the exciting opportunities that they offered. After taking as many free gifts as possible from the careers event I went home and further researched AREVA RMC and the AREVA Group online.
The application process for AREVA RMC seemed much more efficient than many of the other companies that I looked at. Instead of having to fill in a huge application form asking questions already covered by your CV, it was a simple process of sending an application letter and CV.
I soon heard back for AREVA RMC and was invited to take part in an interview. Prior to the interview I was asked to fill in a form stating the reasons why I had applied for the job and detailing my technical knowledge. I also participated in a practise interview at my University careers centre. The AREVA RMC interview was undertaking in a friendly manner, and was based on my technical knowledge and the experience that I had outlined in my CV. However, the interviewer also talked lots about the company and gave a detailed job description. Within 24 hours I received a phone call offering me a place on the AREVA RMC graduate programme.
Why you chose AREVA RMC as opposed to another employer?
I had always liked the idea of consultancy work due to the broad range of challenges and opportunities that are available. The main reason why I chose AREVA RMC over other companies is that I really wanted to be involved in the nuclear sector. It was clear that this was a fast growing sector and an exciting time to get involved. With AREVA RMC being part of the AREVA group there would be many opportunities to get involved in the broad spectrum of the nuclear sector.
I liked the fact that AREVA RMC supported graduates in attaining relevant chartered status and the staff seemed extremely friendly.
How has your role developed and what are your career ambitions?
Within a month of working for AREVA RMC I was offered the opportunity of going to work for the AREVA Group in Paris. The position was as part of the Project Team for AREVA’s application for new build nuclear reactors in the UK. I accepted the position which was initially for six months and have now been working in Paris for just over a year. This is an excellent opportunity for me to increase on the technical knowledge that I have and use my Project Management skills which I hope to develop. Whilst also seeing how it is to life and work in another country.
I am attending many courses to increase and broaden my knowledge of the nuclear sector, and am working for charted status for the Institute of Physics. I hope that the experiences I am gaining shall prepare me for what is an extremely exciting time in the nuclear sector.
What do you enjoy about your job and about working in the sector?
What I enjoy most about the job is the wide range of exciting and challenges opportunities that are available to work within the UK and abroad. This is the most exciting time in the nuclear industry for more than 20 years, and my on job experiences and training focused on career development is preparing me to keep up with these challenges. Working abroad as part of the AREVA Group has been me the opportunity to learn about many areas within the nuclear sector, and I really enjoy the opportunity of working on the client’s site.
What are the most challenging parts of your job?
The most challenging parts of the job are also the things that make it so interesting. The sector is moving so quickly and therefore you have to understand an extremely large amount of new and innovative information. New challenges are always available and you have to be fully prepared for these.
Finally, what advice would you have for other students and graduates who would like to get into this career?
My first advice for any career would be for people to do lots of research into their career opportunities in the final year of University, and to take full advantage of the career services available.
To get into this career people must not only have a strong interest of the nuclear sector, but they must also be willing to accept the opportunities that are available and enjoy new and difficult challenges.
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