Emily Hughes - Engineering Graduate

First, tell us a bit about yourself! What programme did you join at SSE and where are you based?  

My name’s Emily and I joined SSE as part of the engineering graduate scheme. 

What did you study at University?

I studied Chemical & Process Engineering at the University of Strathclyde.

Which sectors did you consider applying to for your graduate role? What made you choose SSE and the area you are now working in?

As a student, I knew there was a wide variety of industries I could apply to work in. However, after completing my summer placement with SSE I gained exposure to the range of opportunities available to a graduate joining the energy sector. More specifically, I knew I wanted to work with SSE as a graduate in Generation as I would be given the opportunity to work for a company that has a diverse range of generation assets. One of the main selling points of the SSE graduate scheme for me, was the freedom to guide your development and tailor your experiences allowing you to gain exposure working with a large range of new and existing technologies from the research stages straight through to construction and operation. SSE are also very keen for graduates to continue their professional development so there is help available and you are allocated a mentor who has been chartered within the same discipline as you are aiming towards. My internship during the summer also gave me an insight into the working environment and culture at SSE. which was another key deciding factor in choosing to join SSE.

How did you find the recruitment process?  Do you have any advice for students considering applying for the SSE Graduate Programmes?

I would be lying if I said I ever enjoyed assessment centres or interviews, but as far as recruitment processes go, I felt like SSE strived to make you feel comfortable and get the best out of each candidate. Everyone I came across at the assessment centre was friendly and made you feel welcome straight away – which reassured me I was making the right choice in joining SSE. As for advice for students – I would say make use of the Career’s Service at your university and really do your research into a company, whether that be by attending networking events, online or reaching out to current employees/graduates. This will help you through the recruitment process, give you an insight into how the company works and help reduce the nerves around whether a company is the right choice for you.

Tell us a about the work you have been doing?

Throughout my two years on the graduate scheme I have enjoyed a wide range of placements and worked with really interesting teams including: Process Engineering Team, Renewable Operations with particular focus on our hydro assets,  Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 commissioning team, Keadby 1 Rotating Plant Team during the statutory outage, Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm as part of the Wind Turbine Package, Distributed Energy in the Enterprise Business and the Technology Team in the Thermal Engineering and Innovation Centre.