Careers

Jay Kachwaha

I joined Babcock because I wanted to work for a company that offered me exposure to several different business sectors, and that was committed to training and development. So far, I’ve gained experience in project and commercial management, and I’ll soon be moving into operational business development.

I’ve covered a lot of ground and very quickly. In my first placement – working on the public contract for Ealing's Education Property Team, I was involved in managing capital works schemes through from inception to completion for alterations, refurbishments and general improvements to all of Ealing's Life Long Learning Building stock. Specifically, this included the £8 million design and build of John Perryn School in East Acton, the design and build of Perivale Primary school, the accompanying BREEAM assessment (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) and the Northolt library refurbishment.

My line manager put me in at the deep end to see how I’d get on, and in those first few months I worked directly with everyone from project managers to quantity surveyors and architects. It was a challenging experience and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

By way of a complete contrast, I’ve now moved into the commercial department at RAF Brampton, where I’m currently working on a £5m new hangar and site offices project at RAF Syerston. Six months might not seem like a long time for a placement, but it’s long enough to become attached to where you’re working. You always have to remember that you’ll soon be moving on.

I think a relaxed, friendly and supportive environment is key. Knowing you can call on all the knowledge and resources of a lot of experienced people is vital. I also like the exposure you get from spending time on-site – which I do a lot.

Anyone who’s serious about joining should look at the wider picture. Yes, the moving around can be disruptive, but it’s an incredible opportunity to gain exposure to some widely differing sectors of the business environment. It enables you very quickly to acquire a broad range of experience and knowledge.

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