Educated as a Physics teacher to Nordics graduate engineer.
I have always been fascinated by most subjects and interesting things in life, anything that explained the world around me really, but people interactions and physics are two things I have not only thought interesting, but been good at. So the thought of being able to combine them in one lured me towards a teaching career, but as with many things the grass seemed greener from afar. Thus, while finishing my Master's thesis within technical physics I applied for the Nordics graduate engineering program at Alstom, and was happy to be offered the position.
Nordics Graduate Engineer to Site Engineer.
I follow a structural plan, doing four three month rotations within different departments in Alstom. All graduates have their own individual plan, but mine looks as follows;
1. Installation in Oslo Norway.
2. Supply chain in Oslo Norway.
3. Brakes department in Västerås, Sweden.
4. Quality in Oslo, Norway.
After my final rotation I was awarded a position as Site Engineer for Field Operations.
Participating in the creating of a more sustainable future
With global warming looming on the horizon, being able to work with something that is both impacting peoples daily life while trying to create a more sustainable future is a huge win in my books.
Network and Buy in
Network. Everyone talks about networking, but it truly is a life hack. After University grades are gone, you'll still be reviewed once a year or so, but the amount of written feedback is much more limited. Building a strong network is now your new good grades and it will strongly dictate your future career opportunities. Also remember that networking is not only for those in positions above you, so be nice to everyone.
Buy in. Buy in to the culture, to the social and to the company. Show an interest and ask questions. This will make your worklife become more enjoyable and also help you with your networking, especially with those in positions above you as they are more bound to company values and culture.
Breaking expectations
During a social in one of my first weeks with Alstom, one of my colleagues jokingly asked "have we really become so desperate that we are hiring teachers?". While intended as a joke, it still stuck with me a little. So when I during my second rotation managed to make myself so integral to the project that management decided the only viable option as to not impact the project progress was to delay my third rotation, this felt like a true stamp of approval. It was still unfortunate for me, as less time was left for the forth rotation, but it showed the impact one can have in just three months and is something I look back to be a little proud of.
