Andrew Fotheringham

Name

Andrew Fotheringham

Job Title

Assistant Health Physicist

Company

Ministry of Defence

Time in employment:
6 months

What is your educational background?

I have 8 standard grades. 4 highers (Physics, Maths, Chemistry, Computing). 1 intermediate 2 (Geography). I studied Physics at Strathclyde University and gained a BSc Honours (2:2).

What subjects did you like at school?

Physics and Maths.

Who influenced your decision making?

My parents and careers advisor at school advised me to consider going to university as I had the grades to be accepted.

What has been your career path so far?

This is my first full time job since leaving university. I am currently being trained to become a Health Physicist. This has so far entailed a 3 month course (Nuclear Radiological Training Course). The next steps are to complete a dissertation as a follow on to the 3 month training course and a one week training course (Nuclear Accident Response Course).

What would a typical day contain for you?

This question isn't really applicable as I am currently doing a lot of studying. When I am not doing that though I spend time with the Health Physicists to get a perspective of what they do in the base.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I found the training course that I was on very interesting and the variety of issues that you come across from day to day mean that the working day doesn't become monotonous.

What skills are important in your job?

As I am training to be a Health Physicist which involves attending training courses and writing a dissertation then academic skills are important in my job.

What are your main responsibilities?

This question isn't really applicable as I am still in training.

What training (on & off the job) has helped you perform your role or progress?

The courses I have and will be attending are essential to being able to carry out my job once I become qualified as you need a wide range of knowledge and understanding of the subject (radiation / radiation protection).

Why did you choose a career in the industry?

I saw the job advert just after I had graduated and it grabbed my attention. I then done some research to find out more about the job as it wasn't a job I was aware of. It seemed a very interesting field so I took things from there.

What advice would you give to someone considering their career?

Keep your options open. Don't choose one job and focus solely on that as there are many interesting jobs out there that you might not even know about