Muireann Ryan, Electrical Engineer, ESB

What does your job involve?

I am working with ESB International as an overhead line engineer, currently I'm working in Cork. My work involves the structure of overhead lines and the structures that support them and supervising on-site construction. This means being involved in things like the digging and concrete pour process and working with different contractors.

What was your path to your current job?

I did an apprenticeship before travelling to Australia and working there. When I returned to Ireland I went to DIT to study a degree in Electrical Systems, graduating in 2012, then I went on to Electrical and Electronic Engineering, graduating in 2014. I was interested in the whole electrical area, from generation to transmission, so as soon as I was qualified it was the ESB Graduate Programme that I applied for.

What skills do you need to be successful?

Teamwork is vital, you're never working alone, last year I would have worked on site with apprentices, technicians and supervisors, so you will be working with a lot of different people and you need to be able to do that comfortably.

Do you have any advice for students?

In college, it's a good idea to volunteer to lead in terms of projects or clubs or groups. Also, to be able to present to people and motivate and organise people are really good skills to have.

What's the best thing about your job?

With ESB there is such a wealth of knowledge with the people who work there, some of them have been working there for a long time so they have a lot to share. You're also talking to people who have worked internationally and learning from them and I'm also getting exposure to, and the opportunity to work with, new technology. It's something new and different every day.