Career Portraits – Life as a Risktec consultant
As Risktec continues to grow, we thought it would be interesting to interview some of our staff to discover their journey so far. Here we share the stories of three very different members of our team at varying stages in their Risktec careers and ask what advice they would like to pass on.
WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE JOINING RISKTEC?
I studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester, which was quite challenging but very rewarding in retrospect. It’s helped a lot with understanding the process of a HAZOP workshop and scribing. Before joining Risktec I actually worked in the pension industry as a software consultant; a departure from my degree, but I accepted what I could at the time and it helped me grow as a person and increase my self-confidence by learning something completely new.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT RISKTEC?
I’ve always had an interest in the safety aspect of engineering and understanding that everything can be dangerous in certain conditions. I had a friend who worked at Risktec at the time of applying who spoke highly of the company and explained to me the type of work Risktec do. Risktec seemed like a perfect fit and I am grateful for that.
FAVOURITE OR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AT RISKTEC?
It’s hard to pick just one, but attending my first HAZOP workshop on site was definitely memorable. Being exposed to the years of professional experience within the room and seeing first-hand the discussion of a real project, with the aim of making it safer for people and for the environment. It is quite humbling but also a really cool experience.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT WORKING FOR RISKTEC?
One of the main things that stands out to me is the amazing culture and working environment. The people I work with are positive, honest and always willing to help out. I appreciate the opportunity to develop my network within the company with various offices but also to be able to learn so much from my colleagues.
Another plus is being a part of the MSc Risk and Safety management course offered by Risktec, which is something I knew I couldn’t pass up. Already I’m finding it incredibly valuable for my day-to- day work and am excited to see how the course will continue to increase my skills in the years to come.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A CONSULTANT?
I had spent the vast majority of my career working for large manufacturers and was never involved in the commercial aspects of winning work and constructing bids. I had reviewed plenty of bids and worked with consultants a lot over the years,and the idea of working across different projects and industries really appealed to me to broaden my knowledge and skills in both Human Factors (HF) and consultancy.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WEEK LOOK LIKE FOR YOU AT RISKTEC?
I work part time, three days a week (Tues to Thurs). Tuesdays are my meeting-heavy days where I catch up on what’s happened while I’ve not been working, touch base with my office team and project teams, and generally do project work during the afternoon. I’ve recently taken on a more prominent business development role so part of my working week is to speak with the rest of the HF team to understand what opportunities for new work are out there and what networking or marketing events we should be attending to meet potential clients and raise the profile of Risktec’s HF capability.
WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE FUTURE?
I have lots of goals and things I’d like to achieve in the future. I’d love to land the HF team a rail client, and I’m also really interested in getting HF into the clean energy sector. This aligns with my morals as a keen environmentalist, so combining two things I’m passionate about would be really exciting. A big challenge for me this year is being the HF module lead for Risktec’s MSc – I’m really looking forward to learning how to write exam questions, deliver virtual classrooms and mark my students’ output!
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO IS CONSIDERING A CAREER IN CONSULTANCY?
Consultancy is ever changing and quite fast-paced so you need to keep your wits about you. The diversity of work, both across different industries and across the multitudes of tasks, is great for developing a wide range of skills and keeping interest levels high.
FAVOURITE OR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT AT RISKTEC?
There have been many memorable experiences at Risktec but I guess the most memorable is presenting at my first conference. My manager had to present his paper early morning with mine being one of the last. Rather than leave after his presentation he stayed and was in the front row for my turn. The support he showed gave me the confidence to do something massively outside my comfort zone. That level of support from managers is something that I have come across on many occasions but that is one of the turning points in my personal development.
3 THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNED WORKING AT RISKTEC?
Only three things? Other than the obvious working knowledge, I suspect the main learnings I have had from a career perspective are empathy for colleagues, project management skills and to trust my own abilities (although I still have a lot to learn on one or two of these!).
WHAT ARE THE MAIN THING YOU LIKE ABOUT WORKING AT RISKTEC?
Risktec treats staff very well – flexible working, variety of work, and good colleagues all make the working environment something to look forward to. But I think the main thing about working here is the empowerment you feel. The Risktec business model both empowers us and makes us accountable for our actions – and that allows us to push the boundaries of the work we do and challenge ourselves to improve and innovate.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ABOUT YOUR CAREER/WORKING AT RISKTEC?
I have been lucky enough to live in some great places while working for Risktec (UK, Middle East and South East Asia). Living overseas is a great experience with man
interesting challenges, such as different cultures, different foods and driving on the wrong side of the road! My work at Risktec has also taken me to some inhospitable places, but the company has always made sure I am safe and have never asked me to go anywhere that I am not comfortable to go to.
As a general statement, I think Risktec is a good company to work for. I started with the company as a Senior Engineer and progressed through to running an office in Malaysia – career progression is t here if you want it, but the drive has to come from you.
COMING SOON
Look out for the expanded Q&A with Zaid, Clare and Mike, as well as Q&As with some of our other team members, on the updated Risktec website which is coming soon!
This article first appeared in RISKworld 43, issued May 2023.
