Environment

I vividly remember my first day at Mott MacDonald, I was sitting in reception with another new starter and both of us were clearly scared witless about what we had gotten ourselves into. Looking back though, we had nothing to worry about – I have never worked anywhere with such a friendly group of people and that girl I first met has definitely become a friend for life.

After starting together in reception on that first day, we have taken extremely different paths in Mott MacDonald's environment division. I'm still happily here in Cambridge, while she has seized the opportunity to be relocated to the Abu Dhabi office for two years and also won the opportunity to visit the Milburn, New Jersey office in the USA for the Hatch Mott MacDonald (USA) Graduate Weekend.

I had been working on environmental projects of various kinds for a couple of months before I was approached by one of the hydraulic modelling experts to join his team and work on three-dimensional hydraulic modelling. This includes modelling hydraulic features such as ecological factors, pollutants, water velocity and thermal plumes and has provided the opportunity of a site visit to Jamaica and another in the pipeline to Siberia, Russia.

Aside from work, though, there are more opportunities to socialise than anyone could possible take advantage of here in Cambridge. From regularly meeting sports clubs and social events to the annual graduate weekends, where you're given the opportunity to meet new graduates working in all disciplines of work across the country. There is the annual sports day, environment day, summer barbeque, summer party, and of course the infamous christmas celebration.

Hannah Ross-Russell
Imperial College London
MSc Environmental Technology
Joined In 2007
Works In Environment Division, Cambridge, UK