A year at DFC as a graduate fire engineer has improved my understanding of fire safety within the construction industry and has greatly benefitted my professional development. I am definitely fortunate to be in a position where I can have a positive impact on the built environment through putting what I learnt at university to good use.

I was first introduced to DFC at a careers fair in my fourth year at the University of Edinburgh. At the time, I was taking fire safety courses which left me wondering how I could use the knowledge in the ‘real world’ (whatever that meant). Gemma and Anna were representing DFC at the fair; they explained how my university learning could be applied in fire engineering consultancy. Specifically, they advocated for DFC’s role within the process, and following that discussion, I was excited to apply for a graduate position with DFC.

Throughout the application process, DFC’s Business Support team were communicative and attentive; such small but impactful considerations made the application process seamless.

Since being offered the graduate position and starting in my role, I have been made to feel very welcome by the entire team; for example, prior to starting the position, Matthew invited me along to an informal office lunch to meet everyone.

Moving to a new city for work is always daunting (especially during a pandemic); however, the DFC team have been great in recognising this, providing recommendations for daytrips in and around Manchester.

Working Experience

During my first few weeks, I had the opportunity to assist in numerous projects; some tasks included drafting fee proposals and responding to external design team queries via email. I was pleased to be trusted with such responsibilities as a graduate; with each task, a senior colleague was available to review and feedback on my work which has been valuable for my professional development.

Throughout the past year, I have been able to take on a range of responsibilities and have felt a real sense of ownership and pride when it comes to my work on projects in Central Manchester, such as fit-out works at Circle Square 1 & 2, and residential schemes such as Victoria House and Viadux.

These experiences (and many others) have provided opportunities for me to get involved in the concept development and detailed design stages through to the construction stage. Though each project comes with its challenges and complexities, the team have been on hand to readily support me whenever required.

CPD and Training

I’ve gained valuable experiences from working on numerous projects and this project experience has been enhanced by external professional training courses delivered by Abbeydale Training, as part of DFC’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.

During my first year, I have attended training days on time management, negotiation, and communication. These training opportunities are available for all, allowing the whole team to learn and grow together in an organic way.

DFC have forged and maintained strong relationships with academia; annual CPD events are organised with the University of Edinburgh to enhance our technical skills. At one such event, the whole team has recently travelled to Edinburgh to spend a few days at the University. The lectures and the fire lab demonstrations challenged our knowledge about typical construction materials and their reactions to fire. Going forward, these learning experiences will continue to inform the advice we provide on projects. After the day of learning, our brains were given a rest with an opportunity to relax and socialise in the evening.

All in all, a great first year! Here’s to another—cheers👍.

Photo with one of the previous year’s graduates, Waqas