I am a Graduate Materials Engineer working in the Materials and Corrosion Testing Team. I go out on site visits to do inspections on materials in civil applications, such as bridges, car parks, buildings etc. I assess the condition of materials and then I prepare reports for clients with the remedial work needed to extend the life of materials/replace the materials.
In my Master's degree, I had learnt about ‘non-destructive testing,’ how to conduct non-destructive testing, and what materials it can be used on. This type of testing is typically used for condition monitoring and damage assessment of materials, which can be used to understand how long a material can be in-service for.
I have been able to apply what I had learnt in university to my work at Mott MacDonald because we use non-destructive testing and destructive testing to assess materials on site visits. For instance, I have used carbonation testing to assess the carbon dioxide infiltration in concrete.
Overall this determines if the concrete has a pH value high enough to protect the reinforcement against corrosion. In order to remove a section of concrete I have used a drill (destructive) to carry out the carbonation test at different depths. Overall, having the foundation in understanding how these tools work was helpful in understanding the results produced from testing.
I would advise someone applying to the graduate scheme to exhibit their team player and problem-solving skills in the interview. Or refine the skills before applying to Mott MacDonald through work experience and working on university group projects. Having these two skills are important when you work for Mott MacDonald because every project requires a level of problem solving to produce solutions for clients, and you are likely to be working with a colleague, or many colleagues, to complete the project.
Therefore, building a good rapport with colleagues and supporting them when they need additional help on their work is very useful. Furthermore, these skills enhance the outcome of projects all the time because your communication amongst the team is better and your approach to solving the problem becomes easier when there are multiple people with multiple ideas looking at a problem.
