So far in my extensive career, I have worked across design and research development and mechanical engineering. I have been at Cambridge Consultants for nearly two years now and have been working as a senior consultant in the mechanics and mechatronics group. Being at a company like CC is fantastic, but when they support your passions outside of work too, that’s when it feels complete.
A reoccurring urge to do something out of my comfort zone kept replaying in my mind for several months. Years ago, I met a friend at university who was constantly doing new, out of the ordinary things to push himself. He got in contact with me and asked me to join him on his next adventure. After lots of back and forth in decision making, I decided to challenge myself and sign up to do the Marathon Des Sables alongside him. It was a six day self supported marathon in the Sahara desert. For the entirety of the 250km, I had to carry all my food and equipment, and the event provided me with a tent and water. Prior to this marathon, I had already done an Ironman in 2013 and I knew I needed to train reasonably well to be successful.
The preparation for the event left me with setbacks. My friend had to drop out for personal reasons and at that point I wondered if I should be doing it alone or not. I faced my inner demons and went ahead. I signed up for a one off 60 mile event for endurance purposes, but a week before this I was struck down with Covid which left me with little to no training before the big Sahara moment. However, there was no way I was going to back out and so I pushed myself to do it.
I walked for most of the marathon, and to my surprise the majority of people were doing this too. There were high and low moments throughout the event and the first day set me off with an easy start. The weather was sunny and not too hot, the terrine was reasonable with sand and rocks, so the walking was easy enough. By the second day I was struck by a sandstorm for three hours. The sand got everywhere especially into my shoes which left me with blisters for the rest of the marathon. Despite this, I was determined to push on and persevered with the pain. On the last day it rained and I couldn’t have been happier!
What is it like to work for Cambridge Consultants?
Cambridge Consultants sponsored me for this event and the charity donations I raised were for Hope for Children. This charity supports children all over the world but specifically in Morocco, and this was one of their main fundraising ventures. The funds raised were doubled by CC and this made it clear to me how much of a people centered place CC is to work at. Work life balance is a real thing here and you are encouraged through all areas of life.
Everyone at CC is very passionate about technology. I am yet to meet someone who isn’t driven or friendly. There is so much opportunity to work on a variety of things at one time and you are given lots of training so that you feel confident about what you are stepping into. No matter where you are in your career there is still something new to learn. The development opportunities are endless and you can upskill your knowledge in different areas every day.
I have been fortunate enough to provide my expertise on several projects. One of these included being involved in the automation of chemistry in a research laboratory. For another specific project, I flew over to Germany to meet the client and learn more about them. I found this a great way to interact and collaborate with the people I was working closely with.
Many of the projects I have been a part of have been robotics orientated and I am now helping review the direction that we will take robotics in. What I like the most about being at CC is that you can take your own career down any avenue and take pride in the work you accomplish.
If you are looking to work alongside a team of bright, talented individuals then take a look at the current vacancies on our website.
