Jennifer Clark

Name
Jennifer Clark
Job Title
Health, Safety and Environment Specialist
Company
Peboc Division of Eastman Company (UK) Ltd.

Jennifer Clark is Health, Safety & Environment Specialist for Peboc Division of Eastman Company (UK) Ltd and has been with the company for 4 years. We asked Jenny a range of questions to find out what she liked at school, her career path so far and what advice she would give to anyone making decisions about their careers. Here's what she said.

What is your educational background?
At school I studied 9 GCSEs and 3 A-levels in Chemistry, Biology and Art and Design. I further continued my studies to Higher Education studying for a BSc and MSc in Environmental Chemistry.
What subjects did you like at school?
My favourite subjects were chemistry, art and sport.
Who influenced your decision making?
My sixth form teachers influenced and inspired me to carry on studying chemistry. My parents supported my decision throughout my studies, and were great support.
What has been your career path so far?
After University I started work at Peboc as a Quality Control (QC) Technician working in the laboratory. After a year and a half I was promoted to Senior QC Technician and developed my skills in other areas such process development chemistry. Last year I became the Health Safety & Environmental Specialist.
What would a typical day contain for you?
My days vary but typically the majority of my time is spent focusing on the environment management system onsite including training, emissions monitoring, auditing, attending project meetings and liaising with the government agencies.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love meeting people from a variety of skills backgrounds and the problem solving element of my job.
What skills are important in your job?
Negotiating skills, team work, people skills management, and organisational skills to deliver results to strict deadlines.
What are your main responsibilities?
Managing the Environmental Management System and the site's permit (licence) for the site to operate.
What training (on & off the job) has helped you perform your role or progress?
Various life skills have helped me perform for my role, including sports and moving away from home to university for team work and communication skills. Specifically tailored short courses paid for by my employer have also enabled my knowledge to grow and become an expert in my field.
Why did you choose a career in the industry?
It always looked fun and interesting whenever I visited a site on an open day.
What advice would you give to someone considering their career?
Talk to friends; get summer work experience to see if you like it and start spending time looking at the various companies you can work for. The industry has an enormous variety of types of jobs, locations and career opportunities. It is really worth spending the time to see what exciting opportunities are out there!