Jon
What is your role on the Graduate Programme?
I am currently attached to a project management team involved with planning various decommissioning operations for a major client.
What initially attracted you to Amentum?
The business areas listed as priorities were the same as my own interests which are waste-informed decommissioning and integrated waste management. I was also impressed with the stated desire of the business to continue to invest in these activities and the involvement of senior management in the recruitment process which is always an encouraging sign and demonstrates commitment.
What has impressed you so far with the Amentum Graduate Programme?
The company was open and up front about their growth journey and the fact that they intend to continue to grow quite quickly, so the challenges that have come from that were not unexpected. I also like the start-up feel of the company and believe it has helped the current graduate cohort fit in. We have regular all staff calls which are a good thing because it prevents disconnect between management and the shop floor and provides a platform for open discussion.
If you could give a future graduate some advice, what would it be?
Take advantage of the placement opportunities. If you particularly enjoy one you have gained something to focus on for the future. If you don’t, apply yourself for the duration anyway - you’ll learn to speak the languages of different business areas which will be very beneficial later on.
If you believe you fit our criteria, then we are interested in getting to know you.
We are looking for Graduates with degree subjects that correlate well with Quantity Surveying, Science, Engineering (Electrical/ Mechanical/ Civil) and Project Management but are also open to applicants with qualifications in different subjects.
If you have a minimum of a 2:1 in your subject and have graduated within three years of the scheme start date, we are interested in getting to know you.
A Masters level degree in engineering based disciplines is preferred but not essential.
John
What is your role on the graduate programme?
Since starting the graduate programme, I have been on a placement in the Transformation Programme, working on building the structures that will help the company operate more smoothly as it grows.
What initially attracted you to Amentum?
I had never heard of Amentum until the opportunity was mentioned by a lecturer at the University of Birmingham, so I attended the interview not knowing much about the company at all, with the intention of finding out more about it. What attracted me to Amentum after the interview was how relaxed and colloquial the interview was. I felt it flowed like a proper conversation which felt very natural and allowed me to perform to the best of my abilities and show my qualities/talk about my skills and strengths. It definitely left me with the impression of a people-focused company which is something that I didn’t experience at other interviews.
What has impressed you so far with the Amentum Graduate Programme?
The key area that has impressed me is the amount of support and guidance/mentorship that I have received since joining. Everyone has been extremely helpful and willing to provide feedback, encouragement, and suggestions despite already having a lot of work on their hands. I also have enjoyed the amount of responsibility I have been given from the beginning. I often hear from friends about graduate schemes in other industries. They seem to be sent to do tasks with other graduates that, whilst being useful for their career development, don’t seem to be of any immediate use for the business. At Amentum I have had the opposite experience. I am working with very senior people from whom I am learning a huge amount, and every day I am reminded how important the work that I am doing is. It is very satisfying.
If you could give a future graduate some advice, what would it be?
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your degree is the only thing that qualifies you for a role. When I graduated, I expected the only roles to be available to me to be physics or engineering oriented. Until I joined Amentum, I didn’t know what Project Management was and had never even heard of Programme Management. I now understand that these and many other career opportunities are open to me. Whilst my background in nuclear physics is useful in keeping me motivated and excited about the work I do, the skills that I picked up in my degree are much more transferrable than I anticipated.
Tom B
What is your role on the graduate programme:
Since joining Amentum, I have been working on supporting various project management duties for one of Amentum’s nuclear projects. These include recording minutes and actions in engineering team meetings, providing evidence that engineering work is meeting requirements to our customer company, communicating feedback with the customer company, investigating potential providers for technology solutions, and producing draft documents detailing the developmental stages of the project so far. I’ve also provided input and suggestions for possible solutions to certain project requirements, to try to apply the theory I studied in my nuclear degree to a real-world, novel problem.
What initially attracted you to Amentum?
Amentum’s work within the Nuclear sector, particularly their past work on the handling of exotic materials to assist in the decommissioning of the Dounreay PFR.
What has impressed you so far with the Amentum Graduate Programme?
Being given time to ease into Amentum and become accustomed with working from home was a good starting point along with the well-organised integration of IT software and company-supplied equipment and peripherals to enhance productivity. Any questions I’ve asked have been answered well and the work I have been set has allowed my learning to progress in a natural manner, to the point where I have become well acquainted with my project’s purpose, scope, and goal-deliverables without even realising!
The feedback I have received, has been of good quality and greatly appreciated and the staff are generally amiable and friendly which supports a positive work culture. Working from home provides a good degree of flexibility too, with the occasional office visits being a nice change of pace.
If you could give a future graduate some advice, what would it be?
Don’t get imposter syndrome if you feel like you haven’t got a huge amount of work to do in the first few months. Just keep in contact with your supervisor(s) to show that you’re proactive and eager to learn and do your best to keep them updated with any work you have done. If you feel you’re stuck without anything to do, ask if there are any small tasks that need doing and if not, whether there are any project documents you can read/look over to help get you up to speed. The projects you will work under upon joining Amentum will have started a good while before you joined (as far as I’m aware), so the biggest hurdle for me was wrapping my head around what the project I was working on even was, and what the point of my tasks was. Naturally, the workload increases as you become more accustomed to your role and the project, and the quality of the work you produce will improve in turn.
Tom W
What is your role on the Graduate Programme?
In my current role I am helping to produce business cases and optioneering reports for a major client on different projects that will be critical to maintaining our schedule, in addition to saving money for the customer. On top of this, I am also in charge of dealing with and closing any non-conformances related to specific projects.
What initially attracted you to Amentum?
I’ve long been pursuing a route into a job that deals with naval craft, having been diagnosed with a medical condition a few years ago that cut my career with the Navy short. Amentum UK looked like a great place to gain solid industrial experience, in addition to a swathe of project management skills, whilst opening up future internal opportunities related to operations in decommissioning naval craft (especially submarines!).
What has impressed you so far with the Amentum Graduate Programme?
Every single person I met, especially those in senior positions, during my first few weeks was incredibly welcoming and accommodating, without exception. I haven’t noticed any kind of stigma either, which I had been preparing for, having been fresh out of a university course. My line manager, in particular, has always tried to go above and beyond for me.
If you could give a future graduate some advice, what would it be?
Never give up on your passions in STEM; work hard and they will pay you dividends. No one is entitled to success: you may see it as misfortune when life throws its unforeseen challenges at you, however, these experiences will serve only to give you greater incentive to make your every 24 hrs matter. When you look back on all the hard graft that you’ve put in, you’ll realise just how far you’ve come.
I’d wish you luck, but I’m sure you won’t need it!
Leon
What is your role on the graduate programme:
I am currently working on the project controls placement of the graduate scheme where I assist the PMO team whilst learning about the discipline. More recently, I have also been working with other projects and the corporate side, learning about other parts of the company and the ways they all link together.
What initially attracted you to Amentum?
The idea of working in the nuclear industry and the thought of being able to make a real difference in the UK’s nuclear efforts.
What has impressed you so far with the Amentum Graduate Programme?
Being able to talk to the higher ups and being made to feel appreciated and listened to has been a ‘stand out’ for me along with having the clarity and transparency of knowing what is necessary to further progress your career and how to achieve said criteria.
If you could give a future graduate some advice, what would it be?
Even if you may not think it at the time, everything you learn in life whether it is from your studies or the people around you, will certainly prove useful to you at a later time so always keep your willingness to learn.
Samuel
What is your role on the Graduate Programme?
I’ve been working with the commercial team in project procurement – creating work packages and inviting firms to tender for the work, coupled with making sure that who we select is the best fit for the job.
What initially attracted you to Amentum?
A graduate scheme in the nuclear industry brings plenty of opportunities for growth and development, especially in a company that’s relatively new in the UK market and growing itself.
What has impressed you so far with the Amentum Graduate Programme?
I’m close to the Warrington office and value the opportunity to be in-person 3 days a week while still working from home the remaining 2 days.
I’ve been treated as a valuable member of the team and given the opportunity to become the first point of call for certain actions.
Having the opportunity to participate in training courses that focus on a wide range of topics, but also tailored to the industry, help me ensure I’m familiar with the nuclear environment.
If you could give a future graduate some advice, what would it be?
Don’t stress! The more questions you ask the better (even the ones you think are obvious) because you’ll only make your own life easier by knowing exactly what, where, how, and why.
Abubakar
What is your role on the graduate programme:
As a recent graduate engineer at Amentum, I am currently working in the business development sector. I have been contributing to exciting new initiatives at Amentum that will be implemented across the business, and I look forward to sharing these achievements soon. Having been involved in the implementation of social value initiatives with the business, I have utilised my strong sense of teamwork to ensure that the brainstormed ideas were collated into a matrix and prioritised into categories. This is currently an ongoing process which I expect will yield great results.
What initially attracted you to Amentum?
The path of progression, integrity of the company and the fact that it is looking to expand quickly.
What has impressed you so far with the Amentum Graduate Programme?
Everyone from line managers to the Senior Vice President are extremely helpful and I can reach anyone I need to speak to. Plenty of support provided.
If you could give a future graduate some advice, what would it be?
I recommend getting involved within the company, whether that is contributing to company initiatives or being active within the business, that would stand you in good stead to learn from those experiences.
