insights What job is right for me? How I chose my graduate Rail career
Hi, I am Rony. I am a Graduate Engineer within the Rail Consulting Practice of AtkinsRéalis. I am based in the Derby office.
Rony, what do you do in the Rolling Stock Technical Services team in AtkinsRéalis Rail Consulting Practice?
My day-to-day work involves identifying technical, commercial, and safety risks associated with projects and ensuring these are managed as well as mitigated throughout the project phases. Furthermore, it involves standards compliance assessments for electrical systems within the Railways, peer checking of technical proposals and project deliverables, and undertaking project management roles for projects within the Rail Consulting Practice.
What attracted you to a career in the rail industry?
Although I come from a family of railway engineers, I was not always keen on the rail industry when I was growing up. I developed my interest in the rail industry when I used to frequently travel on trains during university. During my train journeys, I was fascinated by the rail network and the way trains interact within this network. I started reading about the rail industry and about building a career in the industry. I did my degree in electrical engineering, so I was keen to get into the electrical domain within rail engineering.
From my experience, I used my engineering skills and people skills to find as well as develop my career in the rail industry. I would say a genuine passion for learning and values that define you as a professional is key if you are planning to join the industry.
Are you part of any wider company initiatives outside of your day-to-day role?
Outside of my day-to-day role, I have recently been involved with the AtkinsRéalis Business Improvement team working on developing our Carbon Management Plans (CMP), as part of Net Zero agenda. As part of this work, I am involved in planning the CMP rollout within our projects to reduce or influence the reduction of carbon in the project life cycle. It's an iterative learning process so we use the experience from projects who have already implemented CMPs to better improve our processes and guidance for our future CMP rollout. I am pleased with my involvement as sustainability is one of my personal ethos.
How is AtkinsRéalis supporting you in achieving your career goal/path?
At AtkinsRéalis, I have been supported to pursue my career goal of developing as an engineering consultant. I have been given opportunities to work with various teams and experienced professionals, who are willing to share their knowledge and support me in my development. I have also been supported to attend professionals' dinners, networking events and engage with other businesses within the rail industry.
Our core values are Safety, Collaboration, Innovation and Integrity—how do these influence your day-to-day?
Every task I do, I keep our core values in mind. Safety is paramount so I undertake risk assessments in tasks that involve safety risks and plan risk mitigation to reduce the impact or occurrence. I uphold Integrity in my personal and professional life, this helps in building trust which helps in better teamwork. I collaborate with my colleagues as well as with different stakeholders in the rail industry to understand new and innovative ways of working.
What do you enjoy outside work?
At AtkinsRéalis, the business supports employees with 2 paid volunteering days in a calendar year to volunteer with charities they are passionate about supporting. I use these volunteering days to support Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways through Young Rail Professionals. It is so much fun and exciting to be part of a Heritage Railway that has been operational in various capacities for over 150 years. I also spend time trekking in Derbyshire dales and in the Peak District with friends. Furthermore, I do knitting and crafting which help me relax after a day's job. I also volunteer as the East Midlands Vice Chair and National Social Media Manager for Young Rail Professionals. I enjoy doing all these tasks outside work.
Browse the LIVE roles on our Rail Graduate Scheme and start your application today.
Blog by Fraser, Rail Consulting
Blog by Makaita, Information and Communication Systems
Blog by Udara, Strategic Services
Blog by Assala, Safety Engineering & independent verification
Interested? Find out more about life at AtkinsRéalis
Sign up to receive the latest content tailored to your interests
Our articles
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
09/30/2024
Summary
Hi, I'm Lesley, an Assistant Nuclear Safety & Reliability Engineer in the Nuclear Safety and Licensing team at Power New Build, Nuclear & Power. I joined AtkinsRéalis in 2022 on the graduate sch
Preview
EuropeContent type
ProjectsPublish date
09/30/2024
Summary
Hinkley Point C (HPC) is the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK since the 1990s. Technically complex and the country’s largest infrastructure project – our talented people from
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
09/26/2024
Summary
Apprenticeships are a popular route into a plethora of disciplines, including engineering. In the 2022/23 academic year, 752,150 people were participating in an apprenticeship in England alone, com
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
09/18/2024
Summary
Meet Electromechanical Degree Apprentice James, who is based in our Bristol office. In his everyday role, he gets to explore the high-tech meeting of electrical and mechanical engineering, learn
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
08/23/2024
Summary
In the Engineering a Net Zero Energy System report, the Institution of Mechanical Engineering declared that ‘Net Zero is arguably the largest engineering project undertaken by humankind.’ A career i
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
08/23/2024
Summary
Placements are a pretty popular option for students who are thinking about their future career path. They may be an essential part of your degree or entirely optional and they usually happen between
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/31/2024
Summary
Imagine blending science, creativity, and problem-solving and you’ve got yourself the role of a Ground Engineer. This profession goes beyond technical excellence - your work is the very fabric of
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/29/2024
Summary
On graduating from Ulster University with a degree in Civil Engineering, Simone joined AtkinsRéalis' Graduate Development Programme in Belfast and has been at AtkinsRéalis ever since. She's prog
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/25/2024
Summary
Hello, future game-changers! My name is Caleb, and I'm a graduate consultant at AtkinsRéalis. If you've been thinking about applying for a graduate scheme job and may be wondering what it's li
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/25/2024
Summary
With over 800,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students leaving university every year in the UK alone, it’s easy to see why the market for graduate schemes is a competitive one. With how compe
Related jobs
We are sorry but we currently have no jobs in this area.
Continue browsing to look at our other available opportunities
Integrity
We do the right thing, no matter what, and are accountable for our actions.