Andy Brown

Electrical Engineer, London Underground
Joined September 2009

My journey

My university's careers service were the ones who brought TfL's Graduate Schemes to my attention, and what immediately struck me was the scale and variety of projects that I could get involved in if I worked for TfL. I applied to other jobs as well, sure, but the more I read and thought about TfL's job possibilities, the more I got excited by what was on offer - two years on, I can safely say I haven't been disappointed.

For an engineer, London Underground provides everything I came to realise I was looking for in a job: a wide variety of meaningful, thought-provoking engineering challenges; a technical job based in central London; and (it has to be said) a thoroughly competitive package of pay and benefits.

My learning

Rapidly approaching the end of my two-year graduate programme, I can look back and see that TfL has given me a phenomenal range of opportunities and experiences. I've worked in tunnel cooling, train maintenance, performance simulation, and line upgrade strategy; I've had exposure to and worked with the top levels of politics in TfL and City Hall; and I've even spent a couple of months helping customers in stations and driving Tube trains. It's a bit unnerving to think how many different things I've done in two years.

All the while I've been supported by an excellent and dedicated bunch of people who have helped me direct myself towards professional certification and made sure my development needs have been addressed. I'm hoping to achieve Chartered Engineer in the next few years, and I'm confident TfL will continue to support me every step of the way.

My future

I'm just about to leave the graduate programme and begin my permanent role in London Underground, and I'm really looking forward to the new opportunities and responsibilities that will bring. The huge capital investment programme currently underway at LU means that there are certain to be many fascinating projects to work on going forward, and I can't see myself getting bored any time soon!

The experience and skill base that the graduate programme has given me are astounding - much more than I would have predicted two years ago. It's set me in really good stead for a solid career in the engineering industry.