Career development: Gabriella Kyriacou

Current Title:
Graduate Mechanical Engineer

Background:
MEng in Mechanical Engineering with an industrial placement year

Joined Atelier Ten:
2024

Can you describe your journey to Atelier Ten?
My journey to Atelier Ten and building services engineering started when I was 17 and I did a week of work experience at the company. Within this week I discovered my love of building services and knew this was the direction I wanted to go in. I did a MEng in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sussex which included an industrial placement year between my 2nd and 3rd year of my degree, which was completed at Atelier Ten, reinforcing how much I wanted to work within the building services industry and in particular at the company. I then went on to complete the last two years of my university degree and do two more placements at Atelier Ten, one in the summer between my 3rd and 4th year of university and one post-university. (You can tell I really like it here!) Afterwards I took some time off to recuperate after 5 years of studying and applied for the graduate mechanical engineering role to start in September 2024, which I successfully achieved.

What do you enjoy most about working at Atelier Ten?
I enjoy the range of projects that you get to work on at Atelier Ten, from office blocks in London to high end hotels in the Middle East, and the unique set of challenges each project comes with. There is never a straightforward solution to any project and so each project is like a puzzle which you must solve in a new and exciting way. Atelier Ten pushes for thinking outside of the box when it comes to making a project sustainable, so it is very exciting to be part of projects where you are doing something that has not been done before! Another part I enjoy about Atelier Ten is the work-life balance that is instilled at the company, where everyone works hard and puts 100% in but not at a detriment to yourself. There is a range of social activities and events that take place at Atelier Ten to make sure there is a balance. There is also a diversity and inclusion group who to make sure Atelier Ten is a safe, fair and happy environment.

What are you most proud of achieving at Atelier Ten?
One of my biggest achievements at Atelier Ten was being involved in creating a placement video which showed what my industrial placement year entailed. It was great opportunity to showcase Atelier Ten and doing a placement here. It made me feel so proud to look back on everything I had achieved during my first year at Atelier Ten. I felt proud of the impact I was able to make from working on key projects, taking on new responsibilities and establishing strong relationships with my colleagues.

What advice would you give to graduate engineers who aspire to follow a similar career path and eventually become a part of Atelier Ten? Do you have any job search or career advice?
The advice I would offer to new graduates when starting is to make sure you ask questions, and no question is a stupid question! I would also say to not be afraid of the not knowing everything and feeling overwhelmed. This industry is constantly changing, and we are always trying to find innovative and sustainable methods to tackle projects, that it is impossible to know everything. Also to remember every single person at the company was once in your shoes and feeling just as like you and it just takes time and experience to learn the industry, so be patient with yourself!

In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges that engineers face when transitioning from full-time education to a graduate role, and how did you overcome these challenges?
The most significant challenge I found when starting my graduate role after university was transitioning to a 9am–5:30pm for 5 days of the week, it was very tiring at first, but you quickly get used to it and I found that it is a lot more rewarding than studying. I felt like I was making a difference to the world and could see my progress and the progress of the projects. I also found I had more downtime than at university, as once work is finished you can switch off and you can make time for other hobbies without feeling guilty you should be doing more studying!

How do you see your role evolving in the future, and what steps are you taking to prepare for those changes?
I am hoping to progress up within Atelier Ten from my graduate engineering role to more senior roles and eventually become a charted engineer. This progression will happen through gaining more experience, knowledge and responsibility by working on a range of projects and ensuring I am always pushing myself to achieve the best and try new things, even if it is scary!