Craig Maclean MIET: why IET membership is right for me
Craig has been a part of multiple institutions before becoming a member of the IET, now he feels he has found his professional home for life and tells us why he loves being an IET member.
Craig Maclean currently works as a Senior Engineer for Ofgem where his role changes every day, whether its spending time at engineering bases, visiting wind turbines or being at a desk reviewing different engineering documents and papers. It’s a role that gives Craig the variety and diversity he requires.
Originally Craig began his career as a labourer in construction, however in his mid-20s he decided to pursue higher education and become an engineer.
“I completed a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s degree in mechanical and energy systems. I then got a job at a small consultancy firm, where we looked at solar modelling and heat pump modelling and how we could try and decarbonise the built environment. After this I then moved on to National Grid where I worked in the hydrogen program team.”
Knowing his career was going to be working with renewable energy Craig eventually joined Ofgem within their engineering hub, where their purpose is to challenge the technical veracity of proposals put forward by Ofgem’s licensees.
Finding a home and feeling the benefit
On his professional journey Craig joined a number of engineering institutions to try and find the best fit but with his job being both mechanical and electrical the multi-disciplinary nature of the IET caught his eye.
“I’ve been completely supported within my IET career journey. It’s the largest engineering Institution in the United Kingdom with around 150,000 members and it is not just an institute for one type of engineer but an institute for all engineers. I found it the most welcoming, most friendly and really informative, and it’s these qualities of being the home for all engineers, not just one engineer, that mean I have found it being my home.”
Since joining the IET Craig has immersed himself in the culture of the institution and made the most out of his IET benefits. By utilising all the opportunities available to him Craig is making sure that he is at the top of his game and the best engineer he can be. In particular Craig found his IET membership useful for meeting like-minded engineers and people who could help his career.
“One of the things you always be hearing throughout your career journey is networking, networking, networking. When you are a member of the IET, you have thousands of opportunities to be networking. You have events where you can meet other young professionals or other people more advanced in their development. I have been able to network, and I’ve had the chance to meet CEOs and I’ve had the chance to meet graduates. I’ve had the whole experience of different people that I can meet.”
Craig has also felt the benefit of the IET’s different knowledge resources, and they have helped him learn more about his field and discover new interests.
“Log into the membership platform, start exploring it and you’re going to find it’s almost at times like a rabbit hole. You’re going to find so many resources like libraries, videos and networking events, there’s a whole wide range of things you can get yourselves involved in. If you’re an introvert and prefer to do things online then there’s that opportunity, but if you’re an extrovert and want to go out and meet people then you can do that too. Everyone’s journey is different and I’m no exception to this.”
Using Career Manager
A big part of Craig’s membership journey with the IET has been using the online Career Manager tool, as well as attending events and using knowledge services, so he can make sure his development is on the right path.
“I use Career Manager and it helps you map out your Chartership journey – in particular it allows you match up the progress you’ve made throughout your career against the engineering specifications for Chartership. You can also track your CPD all in one place.”
By using the Career Manager platform it has allowed for better communication between Craig and his IET Mentor as they can track Craig’s development and CPD in real time and in one place.
Developing as a professional
Another reason that Craig found himself getting the most of out his IET membership was his goal to develop both as an engineer and a professional. By utilising the IET’s mentor service, Craig was able to gain key insights into what his future could hold in engineering.
“I was given a mentor, Daniel Young, and he’s been incredibly useful. What a mentor does is really help you map out your career journey and think about becoming Chartered. Although it’s not just about your career, it’s also about your personal development, so it’s really about the holistic approach and encompassing everything.”
Having had such a positive experience, Craig is also keen to give back when the time is right and provide a young engineer with the same guidance that he was able to receive.
“I’m not Chartered yet, so I don’t necessarily feel that I’m at that stage to try and give my experience back to other people. However, I do currently mentor some university students through work and as my career develops, I have every intention to be an IET mentor because I’ve received some help and at some point I want to give that help back.”