James McLaughlin
- Name
- James McLaughlin
- Job Title
- Small Boat Project Manager
- Company
- Babcock Naval Services
Time in employment:
14 years with MOD then BNS
- What is your educational background?
- At school I studied 7 GCSE's and 2 A levels in Technical Drawing & Art & Design. I achieved ONC and HNC in Mechanical Engineering then subsequently Beng (Hons) in Mechanical Electronic Systems on a part time basis.
- What subjects did you like at school?
- Technical Drawing and sport.
- Who influenced your decision making?
- My parents influenced me to undertake apprenticeship and more recently my wife has supported me throughout my career.
- What has been your career path so far?
- Soon after completing my apprenticeship as Mechanical fitter at HMNB Clyde I was promoted to Mechanical Design Engineer, where I worked for 18 months before moving to become a Non Destructive Test Engineer. I developed my skills and achieved professional qualifications as an NDE Engineer where I spent 8 years before being seconded to run with the Small Boats Project.
- What would a typical day contain for you?
- A typical day would consist of organising resources for future activities on the project. Monitoring progress of the current work and dealing with any turbulent issues throughout the project.
- What do you enjoy most about your job?
- Seeing the various stages of the project completed, resulting in an end product.
- What skills are important in your job?
- Team work, Organisational skills and negotiating skills
- What are your main responsibilities?
- To deliver small boat projects to quality, timescale and cost.
- What training (on & off the job) has helped you perform your role or progress?
- Specifically tailored courses paid for each post which I have occupied have been provided by my employer to aid progression. The most recent is a Project management software (Primavera) training course, which has been invaluable in my current role.
- Why did you choose a career in the industry?
- During the school holidays I used to work with my father who is a motor mechanic which got me interested in Mechanical Engineering.
- What advice would you give to someone considering their career?
- Talk to as many people as you can, and any opportunity of work experience is worthwhile. Mechanical Engineering can come with great variety of jobs types, and career opportunities, in various locations so be prepared to change direction to develop opportunities.