By Philip Sanlon, Principal Engineer, AM Consulting Engineers
Achieving Chartered Engineer status before he was 30 had always been a career goal for Philip Sanlon, and he knew that finding the right company to genuinely support that journey would be key. In this article, Philip shares why AM Consulting Engineers was the right company and how it also offered him the opportunity to work on technically challenging projects, gain real responsibility, learn from the company’s problem-solving ethos, and develop alongside a highly experienced team that is truly invested in his success.
“When I graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with my master’s degree, I started my career in geotechnical engineering with Byrne Looby, before moving to AtkinsRéalis.
Like many engineers early in their careers, I knew Chartership was something I wanted to achieve before I was 30. The challenge was finding the right environment to actually make it happen.
A lot of companies talk about supporting professional development. But there’s a big difference between saying the right things and genuinely investing time in people.
The right choice
That was one of the biggest reasons I moved to AM Consulting Engineers.
I already knew from previous experience working with Aidan that he volunteered with Engineers Ireland around their Chartership process, so he knew the process inside out. I also knew I’d be learning under highly experienced technical leadership, such as Chris Chapman (AMCE Technical Director), particularly in geotechnical engineering, and that mattered to me.
Real responsibility, real progress
From day one, there was a very hands-on approach to helping me progress.
The projects I worked on at AMCE were a major part of my Chartership application because they gave me real responsibility and genuine technical depth to discuss in my interview and presentation. I wasn’t a small part of a massive project, doing an isolated task and not gaining much experience from it. I was involved in projects from early-stage design right through to delivery.
I was given projects that I was able to run, and then I was able to talk about the commercial aspects, the technical aspects, dealing with clients, dealing with non-technical stakeholders and how you incorporate design standards into the design.
Breadth of experience
That breadth of experience is incredibly important when going through Chartership.
When it came to preparing for my Engineers Ireland interview, the support from the team here genuinely went above and beyond. When it came to my presentation to Engineers Ireland, the senior team here sat with me, and we worked out what would be the most impactful, dramatic presentation, because you only have 10 minutes to get across your points.
Then, when I had my presentation nailed down, I sat down for more interviews with three of the company’s directors, who were willing to give up their time, even outside office hours. Senior leadership really gave up a significant amount of their time to help me prepare.
Support to succeed
I felt really supported and that it wasn’t just a box-ticking exercise for the company. My colleagues genuinely wanted me to succeed.
We worked through mock interviews, refined how I could communicate my experience, focused on making the strongest possible case, and ensured I was still supported in delivering on my everyday projects for our clients. That level of support made a huge difference to my confidence going into the process.
When the presentation and interview finally came around, I felt fully prepared, and thankfully, I achieved chartered status. It was a well-structured process.
One of the best decisions
Looking back, moving to AMCE to complete my Chartership was one of the best career decisions I’ve made. I’m really glad I followed my gut instinct and moved here.
Project ownership
One of the biggest differences I’ve found compared to larger organisations is the level of ownership engineers are given at AM Consulting Engineers. You are trusted to lead projects and take responsibility, while still having experienced senior engineers there to guide and support you whenever needed.
That combination is hugely valuable for professional growth in our field.
The other major difference is the type of impact you can have.
Large firms promote the scale of flagship projects, but in reality, progress can be slow, and I often felt my overall contribution to larger projects was pretty minimal.
Here at AMCE, though, I see the projects come in and help them move quickly myself. The work is highly technical, and you can clearly see the impact of your engineering decisions. You get to follow projects from concept through to construction and completion, which is incredibly rewarding as an engineer.
Where learning happens every day
We’re all part of a highly skilled, multi-disciplinary team where learning happens every day. There’s rarely a day when you won’t come across a problem-solving conversation at our whiteboard in the office that you can contribute to or learn from, and that kind of thing is invaluable.
Of course, we get the formal training here, and our CPD is always actively supported, but it’s Aidan’s problem-solving ethos that impacts us all. He’s known throughout our sector for his ability to solve problems and his technical thinking and know-how. It’s fantastic to gain exposure to that ethos and expertise, and to the wide range of technically challenging work he brings in as a result.
There’s a lot of talk about AI in our sector at the moment, but I know that nothing will ever replace the kind of knowledge I am picking up in here as I progress in my career. Of course, AI is going to play an increasingly important role in our work every day, but by building my knowledge at a company like AMCE, I know I can understand and interrogate AI’s findings, and that’s invaluable for me as I build a strong career.
For engineers considering their next move, particularly those aiming for Chartership, the positive impact of the environment here at AMCE is hard to overstate.
At the end of the day, Chartership is important. But becoming a stronger, more capable engineer who delivers the best work for our clients matters just as much.
That’s what AMCE gave me and still challenges me to bring to the drafting table every day.”
If you’re a talented engineer like Philip and would like to find out more about working at AM Consulting Engineers, or about any of our available roles, please drop us a line at recruiment@amceltd.com or give us a call at +44 (0) 28 9623 2020. We’ll be happy to hear from you.