What made you want to be an electrician?
So, when I first left school, I was quite indecisive about what I wanted to do with my career. Whether I wanted something practical, or whether I wanted something more office based.
However, when I noticed an advertisement for Eton College Boys School, as an apprentice electrician, I started looking into it and straight away saw the variety of work and how many opportunities there were in terms of courses. It looked like there was room to expand your knowledge and improve, so that's why I chose electrics.

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Did you start work at Eton College then?
Yeah. I completed my four-year apprenticeship at Eton College. It was day-to-day maintenance and we were in charge of 440 buildings within the college. There was 1,500 people that used to go around the college day-in, day-out, so you can imagine it was quite busy. It ranged from boarding houses to actual school rooms, and you had the historical aspect as well. The College was founded in 1440 so there were a lot of listed buildings we had to work with. It was very interesting work.

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What attracted you to MEL?
When I was working at Eton College, MEL were working there at the same time. So I got to see them operate from an outside perspective before going for an interview. First impressions are important:  Everyone's got a nice uniform. All the vans are brand new. So yeah, they looked very professional and it was common knowledge at Eton College that MEL worked to a high standard. So for someone who has just completed their apprenticeship that was something I was looking to get into, because I was doing more maintenance at the time. I was looking for more installation work and I got told they were dealing with lots of hard blue-chip clients, which looked very exciting, and the team was growing as well. And I started to get to know a few of the MEL employees so that's why I decided to go for an interview.

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Was there anything memorable about the interview or your induction?
My first interview was with Andy and Simon, the directors of the company. From the minute I walked in they were very approachable. They wanted to hear about me and answer my questions. What stood out for me most was how clear and concise they were in what they expected from me and what I should expect from them as well: a safe working environment, working to a high standard but also working as a team. They kind of tried to instil the ethos of the company, and how everyone's obviously here to help. If you're unsure about anything on the job, don't feel like you're on your own. You've always got someone on the other end of the line. So that was really reassuring, because obviously joining a new company can be quite nerve-wracking.

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It was a big opportunity, but Andy and Simon settled my nerves and, as I mentioned, they're always on the other end of the line. And also our project managers, George and Robson, are always on the other end of the line as well. That support network was instilled straight away from day one.

That was just over a year ago now. It's been very eventful so far. Lots of different experiences. Lots of different opportunities. I've been really enjoying it so far.

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You have only been with the company for a year so far? What’s it been like?
So when I first joined I took over a job in London, in Baker Street, that was a full office refurb. We were doing all the lighting, the power, the data. That was a nice job to get my teeth stuck into.

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However, the job that stands the most, was working at the Ministry of Defence for six weeks. I was working on all the commanding officer’s flats. We were upgrading their distribution boards and changing their meters to make them compliant with BS7671. It was during Christmas, and it was opposite Hyde Park. It was a really nice time of year with all the soldiers dressed up for their parades.

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And now I’m at a commodities company in Hanover Square, just outside of Bond Street Station. It's a commodities company. I've started a new role there. It’s a facilities management role.

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You only qualified a year ago and you're already in a facilities management role?
Yes. I qualified about eighteen months ago now. And they’ve given me the opportunity to step into this facilities management role.

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What’s it like working with blue-chip clients as their facilities manager?
I've been doing this new role for nearly 2 months now which has been really exciting. It’s looking after a highly complex building ensuring everything from heating, lighting and water is functioning efficiently and properly. And I’m supervising the work of other contractors so, for instance, I'm currently preparing a planned preventative maintenance weekend because the work can't be done when the offices are busy. It means liaising with all the contractors, making sure the risk assessments, method statements and induction packs are ready to go.  And liaising with the building team here to make sure everything is set up and ready to go for a busy weekend.

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Because I’m the main point of contact for anything to do with the facilities management, the amount of important information being communicated is huge. I’m really developing my communication skills and organisation skills. I’m not just representing MEL. I’m representing this blue-chip client. 

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With this job, especially, I've come across lots of new challenges. What I've tried to do is take every day in my stride and learn as much as possible. I think what makes you a professional is really listening, taking in as much information as possible and if you are unsure about anything, double check to make sure the job is done to the highest standard. I don’t settle for second-rate.

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So, even though I love working as an on-site electrician, MEL have given me this opportunity to actually make a difference. I'm going to take every day as it comes and work hard and hopefully maximise my experience.

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All my experiences with MEL have been very positive. And I hope there's many more years to come with a company that's growing and branching out into different areas. The future is bright and it's exciting.

What do you like doing outside of work?
I'm quite a sporty person. I go to the gym. I’m really into my football and I play golf as much as possible. Not to a high standard but I enjoy playing! And I like going out - I'm a bit of an extrovert.