Bridging The Gap Between Education And Industry - By Daniel Macias
The transition from student life into work life can be daunting. Deciding what career to pursue, working full time without regular half terms and no more long summer holidays can feel overwhelming and may come as a shock!
After graduating from Kingston University London with a civil engineering degree, I decided to take the leap into the world of fire safety engineering…
I have been employed as a Graduate Fire Engineer at Trigon for a few months now, and I can happily say that the transition from university to working life in the fire safety industry has been smooth and enjoyable. I have been working closely with my mentor who has supported me in my day-to-day role but also supported me in settling into the working environment.
Trigon’s graduate development programme and internal CPD training has been comprehensive, and I feel I am well equipped and supported. I have been far more involved with all aspects of the business than I was expecting. Working with senior engineers and closely with the three founding directors, I have assisted with all kinds of projects as well as helping to develop the business by working on project proposals, research projects and marketing efforts.
My most enjoyable moments so far have been the various site visits, presentations and meetings I have attended with clients, design teams, architects and stakeholders. The role of a consultant is often client facing, from my studies I was aware of this, but the extent of my involvement with clients as a graduate has far exceeded my expectations. In my short time so far with Trigon, I have been fortunate enough to present some of the knowledge I have recently acquired with others in the form of CPD presentations internally, and to external clients. So far there have been plenty of opportunities to be out of the office and mixing with the wider industry.
In addition to this, I have been pleasantly surprised by the social calendar that Trigon employs. There is a huge focus on health and wellbeing, and many events are organised throughout the year which provides a fun work environment, helps with team bonding and enables me to relax in social settings. In addition to this, Trigon’s flexible and remote working policy really helps to promote a healthy work-life balance and has significantly helped me with the transition from education to industry. I can confidently say that my experience at Trigon and in the fire safety industry so far has been positive, I am very excited at the opportunities which may come in the future.
In summary, I can say that the gap between education and a role in the fire industry is not as big as you may think. I have found many subtle similarities between my studies and my career so far. If you have just finished studying and are thinking about a career in engineering or fire safety, don’t be nervous about the transition, I am sure you are better prepared than you may think. If you would like to find out more about my experience, or would like to have a chat about the transition from education to work, don’t be afraid to reach out to me!