Emma Brennan
Position: Senior Mechanical Engineer
Time with the Company: 7 Years
Tell us a bit about yourself & what led you to your current Role?
I studied Building Services Engineering in DIT Bolton St. I chose that course as I have always been interested in engineering and how things work. While I was studying, I spent the summer working with Mercury on a project with one of our large data centre clients in Dublin. I really enjoyed the work and after graduating I came back to work for Mercury on the graduate programme.
My first role was on a large semiconductor plant project where I spent over 3 years, beginning as a QA Engineer and then as a Mechanical Engineer. I was then given the opportunity to travel, working on food process and Data centre projects in both The Netherlands and Germany.
In between trips abroad I got to spend some time working with the Mercury estimating department which was a great chance to see another side of the industry. I am now back in Ireland working as a Senior Mechanical Engineer on one of our pharmaceutical projects. Overall, I have been working with Mercury for almost 7 years and the time has flown by.
Can you tell us a bit about your experience on Mercury’s Graduate Programme?
Taking part in the Graduate programme was a great opportunity to develop my career with Mercury. In addition to the formal training and workshops, I was very fortunate to receive a lot of valuable mentoring. I found that colleagues and management within the company were always very generous with their time and offered a lot of support to the graduates. It also gave me the chance to work in different departments to get a broad range of experience.
Beginning your career with the other graduates allows you to build a network with people who are in a similar situation to you.
How did you find working abroad & would you recommend Employees to travel with Mercury?
Working in Europe with Mercury was a good experience for me. Career wise it was a great chance to take on new responsibilities and learn a lot. I really enjoyed living in new cities and working with people from different cultures.
Of course, It wasn’t without its challenges as living away from friends and family can always be hard but there was a good team spirit with everyone being in the same boat. I would recommend it to anyone interested in traveling, you will make some great memories.
What’s the most surprising part of being a woman working in Construction?
How under represented we are and how few females you come across in management roles. That’s why campaigns like this one are so important.
What is your favourite part of your career?
That it never gets boring! I really enjoy learning new things and I find in this line of work you won’t go a day without learning something. I love the variety associated with working with various departments, trades etc and overcoming the challenges this poses. It is a nice side to the job.
Most challenging part of your career?
Time management, often you will be faced with a demanding schedule. It is important to identify tasks and prioritise them and when appropriate say no.
What advice would you give someone who wanted to get into Mechanical Engineering?
Be prepared for hard work, be open to constructive criticism but always have plenty of confidence in your abilities and always, always, ask plenty of questions.
