 Continuing EMEC's takeover of our social media, we now hear from Danielle Moodie a Project Manager with EMEC. While studying French, Italian and EU Studies at University, Danielle worked for a building society in Orkney and Edinburgh, taking on a full-time job position after graduation. She then worked in South Africa on a funded work placement in local government. During a trip back home, she saw a temporary Admin Assistant role with EMEC advertised and was successful in getting the job. She has since worked in various roles within the company, developing new skills and knowledge.  Can you describe a typical day in your job?
Stakeholder management and problem solving is a big part of my job. Most days involve several meetings with colleagues or partners to discuss progress and upcoming tasks and making sure the right people are informed at the right time. Inevitably issues and risks are sometimes raised during these calls that require additional management to make sure they don’t impact too much on the project delivery. I also keep reporting systems up to date. For example, reviewing budget, updating future spend. Reviewing contractual requirements and making sure that we are delivering as planned. How did you end up in this role? During my studies I worked in the local branch of a building society in Orkney and then in Edinburgh. After graduating with a degree in French, Italian and European Union Studies I took a full-time role in the bank but my goal was to work in a more international context (maybe European Institutions). I found an opportunity to do a funded placement working in a projects team at the local government in Durban, South Africa. There, I heard about EMEC but didn’t plan to head home for work – I was still keen to be in an international environment and use my languages. And what did I know about marine energy, anyway? As fate would have it, when I finished the placement and went home to visit family, EMEC were looking for a temporary Admin Assistant – a role that fitted well with the skills I’d developed at the bank, in a sector I’d become increasingly interested in through contacts in South Africa. At EMEC, I have been given the opportunity to learn about marine energy and to progress through different roles – first to Personal Assistant and then Project Officer role. Following an interlude as a Service Co-ordinator at Women’s Aid Orkney – I took on my current role of Project Manager, overseeing the delivery of a number of grant funded projects. Incidentally, I can say that despite my assumptions, working at EMEC has helped me reach my goal of working in an international environment. I have even put my studies to use in European funded projects. But mostly my career has evolved alongside the experience and knowledge I’ve gained in various roles – learning by doing with support of talented colleagues. What is the best thing about your job? Working alongside a great team of people all across the company to solve issues and see projects delivered. What is the worst thing about your job? Project plans evolve but it’s even more true in an innovative sector where many things are being developed / implemented for the first time. What skills do you need to undertake your role?
What qualifications do you have? MA (Hons) Languages and EU Studies SVQ 3 Health and Social Care Would you recommend this job to young people, if so why? Yes, the role is widely applicable across a range of sectors so there are always opportunities for career development in project management working with interesting people with all sorts of backgrounds. Visit EMEC on: Website: www.emec.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/EuropeanMarineEnergyCentre Twitter: www.twitter.com/EMEC_Ltd Comments are closed.
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