Career Development: Jessica Glynn

Current Title:
Associate

Background:
MEng in Mechanical Engineering – University of Cambridge, MA MEng CEng MCIBSE BREEAM AP

Joined Atelier Ten:
2017

What attracted you to join Atelier Ten?
From hearing Atelier Ten’s founder, Patrick Bellew, speak about the way in which our engineers have designed innovative and industry-leading heating and cooling systems it was clear to me that this company really prioritises sustainability. Project examples showed how clever solutions, really working with the architecture of buildings, can be implemented to make buildings as green as possible.

What are you most proud of achieving at Atelier Ten?
I’m very proud of the number of projects I have helped get to completion in a relatively short space of time – 5 projects in about as many years! It is very gratifying to see all the work of so many teams come to fruition and know you played a part in it.

What advice would you give to graduate engineers who aspire to follow a similar career path and eventually become an Associate engineer or designer within Atelier Ten? Do you have any job search or career advice?
Choose to work in a company where you feel comfortable, supported and valued. For me, that was choosing a relatively small business – at Atelier Ten you will get exposure to a huge range of projects very quickly, including all the different stages of design and different design activities. At every step in my career, I have felt trust and support from those around, and particularly above, me which has made all the difference. It’s a very good sign when companies really value their junior engineers!

Can you describe your journey from a Graduate Engineer to an Associate at Atelier Ten? What were the key milestones or projects that helped you grow in your career?
On my first day as a graduate I was immediately helping to produce a tender package for a project approaching its deadline. This got me stuck straight into project delivery and gave me appreciation of what is needed to reach that point. From there I got to work on multiple residential and commercial projects, working in small teams directly with senior engineers and directors, allowing me to learn a huge amount directly from them. I ended up with three projects on site at the same time which, although busy, allowed me to learn so much about how our designs are actually installed and made to work, and take that knowledge back into my designs. Having the trust of my managers, and particular mentorship from one of the directors, really gave me the confidence to take projects on and aim higher in my role. I achieved my Chartership after only ~3.5 years working, which is owed in large part to the opportunities given to me here and the support from my managers and directors.

As an Associate, you likely have experience mentoring junior engineers. Can you share an example of a time when you mentored someone and helped them grow in their role?
I have been a line manager for a few years, managing a graduate engineer since she joined. She has recently been promoted to Engineer Level 2! I have worked closely with her on a number of projects and it has been very rewarding to see her knowledge, ability and mostly confidence grow! The biggest thing for my development was my managers having faith and confidence in me, and therefore that is what I most want to give to those I manage. Allowing them to thrive independently as they build their own confidence, but with the knowledge that they can ask for help and support whenever they need it.

In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges that engineers face when transitioning from a graduate to a senior role, and how did you overcome these challenges?
Everyone is different and will respond to gaining more responsibility differently. My experience was that my biggest challenge was my own confidence and feeling like a bit of an imposter. At some point I decided that I would take any opportunity that was offered to me, no matter if it scared me or I felt out of my depth. This pushed me to have faith in myself, and now when I look back on these opportunities they always worked out, which gives me evidence that it will be all ok when I’m confronted with this in the future!

How do you see your role evolving in the future, and what steps are you taking to prepare for those changes?
I hope to continue encouraging younger engineers to build their confidence and have recently become a mentor on our new mentoring programme. I’m also keen to further expand our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging activities as chair of the group, and to try to help have an impact on EDIB attitudes across our global business.