Environmental jobs & graduate schemes 2018

The Employer - Melissa Hopper (Graduate Recruitment Manager - Mott MacDonald)

What competencies do you like to see in candidates?

We look for good communication skills, both written and verbal, commercial awareness, problem solving skills, leadership skills, teamwork, customer and building relations.

Can you talk us through the application process?

Our application process is an online application, Once you have completed an application online, your CV and form will be used to match your skills to our needs. If your application meets our entry criteria it will be circulated to the teams in the sectors and locations you want to work. If you are short listed for a role we will contact you to discuss the position and interview details. Interviews are held in the office where the role is based, giving you an excellent opportunity to meet members of that team.

What is the most common mistake you see in an application, which leads to candidates being rejected?

Candidate referring to other organisations, poor use of spelling and grammar.

What is the main piece of advice you would give a graduate entering the sector?

To try and gain industry experience before you graduate - this will give you a real insight into the role and type of work you would be doing.

What do you find gives a candidate a real edge, in applications for Mott MacDonald?

A candidate that has not only researched the industry, but the organisation too. They have specifically tailored their application for us and you can see that in their answers because all of their answers are relevant to us. They may be giving us an example of a project we've worked on and give us some good examples of research they've done on us as an organisation.

Where do you see the company in two years' time?

Hopefully, winning more graduate awards and be higher on the UK Top 300 Graduate list.

If you weren't a Graduate Recruitment Manager, what would you be?

I would own an animal sanctuary!

The Employee - Chris Jones (Hydrologist - Mott MacDonald)

How did you find your graduate job in Environmental?

I did my undergraduate degree in Geography and I always wanted an Environmental sector job. After doing my BSc I did something completely different and went for a career change. I went back to university to study Water and the Environmental sector. I got the job after I did a placement at Mott Macdonald. This was the dissertation part of the Masters I did.

Why do you think you were successful at Mott MacDonald?

I think it was not just the placement. Others on my Masters course were allocated, by the head of the course, onto placements. I went out and found my own because I wanted to work for a company like Mott Macdonald. So I contacted them, got the placement and did my two months at the end of the year. I was pretty successful because I was enthusiastic; I went out to create my own path to get there. I was determined and did well while I was here.

What do you actually do?

My daily job involves deriving peak flows, flood hydrographs and using a technique, which is very common in the UK, called the Flood Estimation Handbook. I come up with these flows and flood hydrographs to then derive and justify that to pass on the information onto the Flood Modellers. They would use that information to derive flood maps to be used in their hydraulic modelling or flows. I also do a bit of research in flood forecasting, which is my new thing.

What skills do you need?

One thing that I have had to become very skilled in is the use of computer programmes. Ones like Excel, I've learnt a ridiculous amount about Excel. Also geographic explanation systems, stuff such as ArcMap. Other extra skills are that you've got to communicate with your team, because if you don't, things don't get done.

Mathematical skills and awareness, I would count myself as more mathematically aware now. I only had a GCSE in Maths, but because I did basically and engineering course, I had to put the work in with it.

What is the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is, I know it's quite cliché, but the people. I really enjoy working with the people and the teams are good. Aside from that, I'd say the kind of roles that change. Since being here I've worked on loads of different projects which involved Ireland, parts of the UK, national infrastructure companies and working with the Environmental Agency. It's pretty interesting and the work you get is part of that.

And what is the worst thing about your job?

The worst part of my job is the amount of time it has taken me to really get into the technical side of the role. For example, I spent a lot of time on certain aspects of the technical side. I'll go onto something new and I'll have to spend a lot of time getting good at that. It takes a long time at first but you gradually get there.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I'd like to be a Senior Hydrologist of some sort and Chartered as well. I'd like to see myself in a company, like Mott Macdonald, in ten years' time with that wealth of experience to go my own way and do things my way.

What advice would you give to graduates applying to Mott MacDonald?

Try and contact Mott Macdonald. Go on their website, have a look at the different divisions, knowing their visions, values and morals. Understand the health and safety side. Go out there and apply yourself and be enthusiastic.

If you want to find out more about graduate jobs with Mott MacDonald, please take a look at their minisite.