20.09.16
Two jobs, one stone: transferring the skills from a career in rail
David Stinton, graduate civil engineer at AECOM and sapper in the Royal Engineers, had no idea that working in rail would give him the opportunity to pursue two fulfilling careers with crucial transferrable skills.
I decided that I wanted to work in the rail sector whilst at university studying for my degree in civil engineering. I attended a guest lecture by some engineers working on Crossrail and was excited by the thought of being able to work on such transformational projects. I have also always had an interest in the military and attended a Royal Engineers familiarisation weekend while I was still studying to see if joining the Army Reserves could also be an option.
Since then, I have embarked on both civilian and military careers. I started my basic training with the Army Reserves at about the same time that I joined AECOM’s graduate development programme earlier this year. It was important for me to find the right fit with the Army and given my engineering background, joining the Royal Engineers was the obvious choice.
I went on an insight weekend with 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group, which I have since joined, and immediately realised my engineering skills would be useful. The weekend gave me an insight into the typical work the unit is deployed to carry out, which includes engineering support for the construction, maintenance and decommissioning of rail infrastructure.
Vital interchangeable skills
I have now completed a number of training weekends with the 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group and have been involved in track visits and evaluations. The ability to mix engineering skills between the Army and AECOM is definitely benefiting my development in both careers. It is very satisfying to be able to take the experience I am gaining in my civilian role to the Army.
More surprising for me, however, are some of the additional skills I am gaining as a Reservist that I am able to take back to my civilian career. With training in areas such as leadership and communication, I am learning valuable skills that are directly applicable to my role at AECOM. I am currently working on the Wessex Capacity Improvement Programme at Waterloo, and the ability to work collaboratively as part of a high-performing team is key to the delivery of major projects like this.
Balancing the demands of the military with my civilian job and home life can sometimes be hard, but I remain committed to progressing in both careers. I am currently going through the selection process for Army Officer training. It really helps that AECOM gives me three weeks’ extra leave every year, which will enable me to meet this type of training commitment without losing my annual holiday entitlement. I am also working towards my chartership with the Institution of Civil Engineers and aim to become a professionally qualified engineer in the next few years.
For me, the biggest benefit of being a Reservist is the overlap in skills that I am taking to both roles. When I first decided I wanted to work in rail, I had no idea that I would have the opportunity to pursue two fulfilling careers.