Work

  • 28. A Bird in Hand…

    I self describe as a middling mid-career Materials & Corrosion Engineer in jest mainly, but recognise there is a kernel of truth there with much of the past year and a bit feeling like I am treading water. A big part of this derives from my career to date being largely of a specialist nature… Continue reading

  • 18. Comparisons

    When a reasonably large number of (successful?) people gather, what one does, or has done for work inevitably comes up. Sometimes (as at school reunions perhaps) it is about blatant competition – who succeeded, who didn’t, who stayed mid – at others (such as family reunions) it masquerades as catching up. For my sins, I… Continue reading

  • On Being a Specialist in a World of Generalists…

    Photo by Oliver Roos on Unsplash — One of the enduring memories of the past twenty years and some of work is getting hauled into my Supervisor’s office for a career chat. At the time I was twenty three, fresh off a year of national service , quite literally in the middle of nowhere, and two weeks into my first proper job.… Continue reading

  • On Coffee and Conversation

    Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash — She is usually putting the coffee machine through its paces by the time I arrive on most days, she being the lady who keeps our machine ticking along, the water fountain up to snuff and our daily fruit bowl topped up. The wait for me is usually somewhere… Continue reading