Harry Rai

What did you study at university?

BSc Economics 

What do you currently do at MM?

Graduate Economic Consultant as part of Mott MacDonald’s Cities Studio, which is a multidisciplinary team of economists, urban designers, and town planners.

What made you want to apply for a Grad role with MM?

I applied for a role at Mott MacDonald for several reasons:

• The diverse range of work that the company is involved in means the scope of services that are required can change from project to project. This interests me because it means new projects provide the opportunity to learn and develop a wide range of expertise.
• The Employee Owned status of the company means there is opportunity for promotion within the business. This was important to me because as my development as an individual is recognised, I will be able to contribute to the decisions that the business makes.
• The ‘Accelerating Your Future’ graduate scheme is an attractive prospect to develop your soft skills. This was a priority for me as I wanted to pursue a graduate scheme that would further both my professional and personal development at a faster rate

What’s the most interesting work you’ve been involved in so far?

The most interesting work I have been involved in so far is the quantification of benefits across a range of different projects, and thus, benefit types. Each project requires individual consideration as to what the relevant benefits of an intervention will be. This identification process, then feeds into the quantification process since it must be that the methodology used is appropriate and robust in the setting that it is applied. Each type of benefit requires a different calculation process and learning how to create each model, and yield an output that will be client facing, is fascinating. For example, I have been involved in benefit calculation from the value of improved public realm, to the jobs created by a large development. While these benefits are different, they are just as interesting as one another, and both importantly feed in to Value for Money considerations for a project.

How has your degree come in useful in your work?

Having studied BSc Economics, the analytical element of my degree has been particularly helpful since joining Mott MacDonald. Taking a methodical approach to problem solving is key in order to solve the key problems apparent in economic and financial calculations, and in identifying the approach that should be taken for appraisal of each individual project. I would also say that experience in essay writing has been important because we often need to express the output of economic and financial appraisals in a way that is accessible to clients. This means we need to explain what the figures we report mean in understandable language in a report format.  

Have you been involved with anything in addition to your day job (for instance, involvement with the networks, social committee etc) and what does that involve?

Each office tends to have an Early Career Professional (ECP) Committee which sees a group of individuals at early stages in their careers, assigned a specific role within the office. I am the ECP on the Committee for University Collaboration, meaning I am responsible for organising and facilitating events with universities. While I am still new to the role, I managed to organise a session for Civil Engineering undergrads to attend the office with the visit comprising a presentation about life as an ECP at Mott MacDonald, and networking opportunities with staff early in their careers. I am also involved with, and passionate about, the Sports and Social activities in the Birmingham Office (each office has their own committee) and recently attended Mott MacDonald’s Sports Day. This saw 650 people from across the country attend the day, playing sports, and attending an awards dinner; this was a great opportunity to meet new people.

What development opportunities have you had? How has MM supported you in this?

Mott MacDonald has supported both my personal and professional development to date. Personally, I have become more confident in the work environment with the ‘Accelerating Your Future’ programme a key reason for this. This programme has also supported me in building a network with my colleagues, beyond my immediate team. Specific development opportunities include the programme inception residential workshop which encourages networking with fellow graduates in your cohort, and in-person training which often allows you to go to other offices and meet new people. In a technical sense, my team have involved me in a range of projects from Business Cases to Commercial Analyses, which has seen me work across a wide range of sectors supporting my personal development and experience. 

What one piece of advice would you give to anyone looking to apply for the Grad scheme?

My one piece of advice is to be inquisitive about the scheme before, during and after your application process. Ensuring you know as much as possible about the scheme prior to applying means you are well positioned for interview, and being genuinely inquisitive in interview shows your interest in the company, and passion for working at the company. But beyond all of this, being inquisitive throughout the process should identify whether Mott MacDonald is the right fit for you. The Mott MacDonald graduate scheme is a great opportunity to develop your expertise and soft skills, and ensuring you have good sight of what it has to offer is important before joining.