My Â鶹´«Ã½ Story: Jonathan Dodkins builds a graduate career in air quality consulting
July 16, 2024
Jonathan, a graduate air quality consultant, shares what he¡¯s learning during his first year at Â鶹´«Ã½
In the My Â鶹´«Ã½ Story series, our designers, engineers, marketers, project managers, and leaders come together to share how their career journeys at Â鶹´«Ã½ have shaped their lives and moved them closer to their goals.
Tell us about your role¡
I¡¯m a graduate air quality consultant. In my role, I assist with, and complete, air quality assessments of various scales for a wide range of residential, energy, and water projects. I also provide technical support on air quality monitoring and educational projects. My work is varied, and I have opportunities to pick up different kinds of projects based on what I enjoy doing the most, which has made my first year both interesting and challenging.
What attracted you to a career at Â鶹´«Ã½?
I was attracted to Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s international reputation as a top-10 design and engineering firm that¡¯s constantly evolving. The Company places social value high up in its priorities, striving to do what is right in all it does. This aligns with my ethical outlook, and desire to make a positive change in communities I work in. Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s strong identity and presence also instilled confidence in both the company, and the work I would be doing. By working for a large company like Â鶹´«Ã½, I¡¯d knew I¡¯d be exposed to a wide variety of environmental disciplines¡ªwhich was definitely a plus¡ªalong with a wide range of projects to work on.
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How has your personal and professional development been supported at Â鶹´«Ã½?
Stantec provides a lot of training through the official graduate programme, on-the-job training, and additional interdisciplinary talks and presentations. I¡¯m supported to learn and further develop my understanding of topics I work on, both with my team and through access to Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s training resources. I¡¯ve learned a lot through various talks and presentations on other issues such as ecology, acoustics and more, and have the opportunity to talk with specialists in these fields regularly. Personally, I¡¯m supported closely by my line manager through monthly catch ups, and I¡¯m given great flexibility to fit out-of-work commitments around my work week. This helps me to keep my personal goals on-track, and balance work commitments.
What has been the standout project for you during your time at Â鶹´«Ã½?
I¡¯ve worked on a number of air quality assessments for residential schemes, but one in particular, a residential development to the south of Bristol, the city I live in, was a highlight. I assessed the impact of increased traffic flows on air quality at sensitive residences and ecological sites near the Grove Farm development. This project stood out for a number of reasons¡ªI was exposed to new things in ecological modelling, I was sufficiently challenged with a number of issues to address, and I was well supported by my team. The added bonus? Working on a project in my home city and assessing some areas I frequently visit.
What are your ambitions for your future at Â鶹´«Ã½?
My key ambition is to develop my skills and progress within my team. I would like to become increasingly comfortable taking on more responsibilities and more leadership on projects as well as be more exposed to a wider range of projects. To continue with my personal growth, I would like to take advantage of the many developmental opportunities Â鶹´«Ã½ offers, such as STEM support in the community and office committee leadership positions.
What are your passions outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy sport, mainly football, which I play 11-a-side locally, and running, often doing both with my office mates. I try to run at least twice a week¡ªI think it¡¯s very beneficial for my mood, productivity, and health, as well as increasing my fitness. I also like cycling, chess, and music including playing guitar.
Why should others join the Â鶹´«Ã½ team?
I think Â鶹´«Ã½ is a great place to build a career. With a wide range of people, and especially a strong graduate cohort, there are great networking opportunities. Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s strong ethics and company identity also means that you can be confident you¡¯ll be supported with both your wellbeing and personal development. Being exposed to others¡¯ Â鶹´«Ã½ is great for your professional development too¡ªÂ鶹´«Ã½¡¯s wide range of projects gives you exposure to lots of different work.
At Â鶹´«Ã½, we put people first. For Jonathan, that means gaining broad project experience and being around other professionals who can mentor him along his career path.?