´╗┐Company: Hydro One

Position: New Graduate Protection Engineer

Employed: seven months

Degree: Electrical Engineering, from Queen's University

What drew you to your current field?
When I was younger I really had a keen feeling towards electronics. So any Christmas I would always ask for electronics, I was always putting things together, and I was always really good in the sciences. When I went to the open house at Queen's, I saw QBots, these little motorized robots that had to navigate through a maze and you had to program it to navigate properly. That caught my interest and from then on I had electrical engineering as my top choice.

How did you find your current position?
I didn't know about Hydro One's info sessions, so I just went to the website and looked at the current jobs that were available. Because of the recession, I knew not many companies were hiring, but I did know that Hydro One was hiring several new grads, so I applied to the general electrical engineering position. I also did a summer job position at Hydro One working in the Asset Management department.

Tell us a bit about your responsibilities.
As a protection engineer, I'm responsible for protection replacement. I have to update databases with current settings, and I have to use programs to do short-circuit analysis or fault studies. I make sure everything matches up. And on my own time, I've also written up a new grad job-aids ÔÇô like a how-to guide, so people are well-rounded initially. I'm also becoming a pro on SAP. Other departments are asking me to give presentations to them.

Do you ever get nervous about giving presentations?
I honestly feel totally comfortable. Everyone in the Engineering department is very relaxed, and I know everyone by name.

What is the most challenging aspect of your position?
At Queen's, we didn't have a protection course, so being hired into a protection department was probably the most challenging. I had the basic power knowledge, but I didn't know specifics. I didn't know how relays work, I didn't know about the different types of protection, or the different types of equipment. Having to come into that and having to read everything ' there are a 100 modules on protection ' having to know where all the information is located, having to find it, and trying to memorize everything was challenging.

What's the most rewarding part of your job?
When I am assigned a project and I finish it with quality, and I am able to finish it quickly. When my supervisor is proud and says, ÔÇÿOh, you did a good job,' I think that is very rewarding. And also, when I learn how to use something and become an expert at it, and then other people ask me for help, that's also pretty rewarding.

What skills have you learned?
I've learned what type of protection there is on the system. I've learned all the applications that Hydro One has ÔÇô they have so many! I've become more relaxed. You have a deadline, but you have other people to ask, so I've learned to use other people's input and help. I also have the title of Engineering Coordinator, so I have to talk to different divisions and put the project together. I'm not doing any design for it, but I'm overseeing the project. So I've learned how to work with different types of people of different ages.

What do you think it takes to be successful in your career?
You have to be determined, and you have to be a hard worker. You can't just clock in, clock out ' you have to put in more than is expected. I stay 30 minutes extra each day. You also have to treat everyone with respect, be friendly and outgoing, and also wellrounded. If you work 24/7, and just go home on the weekends, I don't think you'll feel successful. You have to have other kinds of extracurriculars, and participation is so key. For example, we have a new grad program and I was selected to be the Social Coordinator, so I organized all the events for the new grads. Making friends in your work community is really important.

Where do you see yourself going in your career?
I see myself in a managerial role. I don't see myself leaving the company, and I hope to become an expert in protection, know as much as my supervisor does, and hopefully I'll be the go-to person for that.

What advice do you have for students looking to land their first job?
I think you have to be well-rounded. You not only have to do well in school ' your marks should be increasing or remaining consistent ' that's what they look for. And if you are involved in school, on a social or executive committee or you play sports, they look at that. Also, work on your oral skills. As engineers, we don't get a lot of opportunities to give presentations to a group of people that you don't know. Writing skills are really important. As soon as you land your first job, you are definitely going to have to write some sort of document. Attend the info sessions, and show that you are interested. And also ensure that after an interview, send a thank-you email. And if you get rejected, don't be afraid to try again! jp
Sponsored by Rogers