Your STEM skills can take you far
Stephie spent a summer in an internship role at Centrica. She is now a Process Engineer for Spirit Energy (part of the Centrica group) on their four-year graduate scheme. She talked to us about her career choice.
The work I do is important to almost all aspects of daily life – keeping us warm during the winter, keeping the lights on, and cooking food!
What degree did you do and why?
I did both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be an engineer. I enjoy problem solving, as well as maths and physics. I chose chemical engineering simply because I also really enjoyed chemistry.
What attracted you to the energy and utilities sector?
While in university I applied for summer internships. I found out about Centrica from a diversity recruitment company, got an offer for a summer role there and really enjoyed it!
What is an average day?
No two days are the same, each brings its own unique challenges – one of the things I love most about my job. I really enjoy solving difficult, real-world problems and learning something new almost every day. It’s a career that’s exciting and rewarding.
What about the career prospects?
There are so many opportunities in the energy industry – there is a skills shortage for almost all types of engineers. Meeting the changing needs of consumers requires both engineering, technical and commercial expertise.
Since joining Centrica, I’ve had technical and core development training and am now working towards becoming a chartered engineer.
Would you recommend your job to a friend?
Definitely – it is a challenging and exciting job in an evolving sector. You get paid a good salary to do something that has a real, positive impact on people’s daily lives, so why not?