"I've always been fascinated by how things work"

Beccy May, Head of Business Improvement, Alstom Power Service UK

I’ve always been fascinated by how things work. In fact, I spent the majority of my childhood disassembling household items – much to the frustration of my parents, who still haven’t figured out why the Hoover kept breaking! So even though I wasn’t necessarily perfect at reassembling my parent’s things back then, at least I was asking the right questions.

Later on, even though I was still fascinated with engineering, I was convinced I would study medicine at University. Medicine and engineering are similar in many respects: both require an understanding of how things work, both require advanced problem solving, and both continually push the boundaries in search of new and exciting technological advances. The closer I came to University though, the more I realised that certain elements of medicine did not interest me at all – feet, in particular – while the idea of studying engineering became more and more appealing. I mean, who wouldn’t be captivated by how to build giant tunnels under our waterways or send people into space? So even though my school tried to talk me out of it by describing engineering as a difficult field involving ‘dirty work traditionally done by men’, my mind was set: I would study engineering. And, as time has proved, it was the right decision.

I enjoy working at Alstom. It’s diverse, challenging, friendly – even frustrating. And they acknowledge that their people are their greatest asset. In fact, I had only been working for Alstom for a couple of weeks when they flew me to Hong Kong for a customer meeting. It was an incredible experience, one that allowed me an opportunity to learn rapidly, and one that proved to me that this was a company that had my personal development and interests at heart.

So why is it sometimes frustrating? Because there are always so many opportunities and never enough time to pursue them all! Fortunately though, there is a great sense of fun within our work groups. We have an environment in which everyone is actively encouraged to contribute their own ideas. Even when I visit our other locations throughout the UK, I find that everyone is welcoming, and committed to finding the best way of doing things. Ultimately, there are many benefits and opportunities available to those working for such a progressive and global organisation – but what you make of them is entirely up to you.