Anyhow if now that the artical has been published I can share the other answers that were not used in the article. Which should give an insight into how they pull a story together. I found the whole process to be quite intresting and epecially like how they stripped my answers down to fit with the story. I was most impressed as they represented what I said with out miss leading people to suit an agenda.
Another cool spin off from this is the company I work for have also taken my answers and published them into our corporate magazine. As well as making a small pamphlet for recruitment purposes. Scary to think I may be acting like some sort of Siren attracting graduates to answer the call and come work overseas, if only they knew the truth :-)
Any how the answers are as follows:
*Did you know what you wanted to do when you were young?
Not really, I was a bit of a fantasist constantly changing my mind, my earliest memory was wanting to be an astronaut, then it was an footballer finally when I was about 14 I decided I wanted to be an Architect but changed my mind at the last minute as Civil Engineer seemed to offer more exciting opportunities.
* Did you need any qualifications to pursue your career choice? If so, where did you study/how did you make it happen?
I picked my A-Levels based on the subjects I enjoyed which where Art, Maths and Physics. These gave me a great foundation for then going to University to study Civil Engineering. To minimise study costs I decided to stay at home and therefore chose to get my degree from the University of Liverpool.
* Can you describe your early career?
I graduated in 1999 and by early 2001 I had been sent on my first overseas posting to the Isle of Mann. I was given quite a lot of responsibility early on and though this was quite stressful I enjoyed the island so much that I managed to cope and stayed there for almost 4 years. The highlight was being the site engineer on the Track renewal for the Steam Railway between Douglas to Port Erin. That project had a real feeling of prestige and history that satisfied nearly all my romantic ideas about civil engineering as a career.
* How did you get into your current role?
Whilst I was working on the Isle of Mann I met an operative who had spent time working in the Falklands and also Antarctica. He described a magical place which captured my imagination and his advice to me was if I ever got the chance to go I should seize it. In 2006 I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and I was asked to be involved with the build of the New “Halley VI” base on the Brunt Ice Shelf, I accepted the chance without questioning.
* Can you describe the region where you work?
The best way for me to describe working on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica is to liken it to a scene in the movie the matrix. Where reality as you know it has been deleted and a new reality has been loaded on to a blank background. With regards to Halley it's been reloaded with only the basic requirements for human survival and not much more, it's very surreal. It is the closest thing I to being on another planet. Everything is alien and there are lots of hidden things like being at -8 degrees and suffering from sunburn due to UV exposure or that there is 24 hour of sunlight which makes it difficult to sleep even thought you are physically exhausted.
* Can you describe the work you do and the organisation you work for?
The organisation I work for have many divisions covering a whole host Construction areas ranging from House Building thorough to larges scale Civil Engineering projects. I work for the International side of the business and apart from the day to day role of being a site engineering, looking after issues surrounding quality, safety, environmental and cutomer value. I would add that due to the nature of the projects we do there is a big emphasis on the logistical side of working in some very remote locations.
* What are the main benefits/rewards of working in Antarctic?
Apart from being fortunate enough to see some incredible places the whole experience opens your mind to a belief that anything is possible if you plan for it.
I would definitely say that I get a lot less fazed by problems now than I did before I went to Antarctica.
* What are the main challenges of working in such a location?
Professionally definitely the most challenging aspect is the logistical side of getting there and getting material to site. A lot of planning goes into ensuring that every last nut and bolt is on site, as its not as if you can nip down the local hardware store for any missing items.
On the personal level its being away from home from loved ones especially over Christmas.
* Do you have any loneliness issues?
No,If anything it's the opposite as living in such close proximity to others means you have very little time on your own. You are almost entirely in the company of others 24hours a day. It's very difficult to get time on your own and I used to go running just for a bit of “me” time.
* Has it proved easy to interact with local people or colleagues?
On the whole yes but it can be difficult at times. You have to be very patient as minor things can start to feel like massive issues. That said its also very hard to fall out with anyone for any length of time as you cant escape, the environment forces you to be very forgiving.
* Have you ever been in any danger?
It’s a very hazardous place and from the moment you arrive you are faced with danger whether its landing in a 66 year old plane on an ice Runway or travelling across sea ice on the back of a sledge, it’s a hazard. Therefore procedures are in place to protect you. As one of my South African colleagues put it "Fortune favours the brave but Antarctica favours the risk adverse".
The only time I was really scared was when I was caught out once in a blow situation by gusting winds. The visibility went momentarily from low to nothing in the space of a few seconds. I managed to make it to a flag but there was no tag line as it was in the middle of the main traffic route. I stood there waiting for the visibility to improve and it felt like an for an eternity. In that short amount of time I was there I lost all sense of direction and when the visibility did improve, I saw a building that I headed towards which turned out to be the building I left 5 mins earlier.
* What's the most unusual thing to have happened?
You have a mental image of the environment being very hostile and difficult traverse, which on the whole it is. I decided however to start running and after a few weeks found it to be easier as I seemed to recover a lot quick than I did running on the roads back home. After a few weeks I decided it would be possible to go much further than I had previously expected and right at the end of the season I ran a marathon, something I never would have dreamt possible at the start of the season.
* What was the major culture clash moment that made you think, “woah”?
I think seeing some of the Ice Bergs for the first time blew my mind. Can't begin to describe them, words and photos don’t do them justice they are just beautiful. Likewise standing next to an emperor Penguin in its natural habitat it’s a very special thing.
Cultural clash happened when I first arrived home in the UK. The place I knew as home looked so familiar but different. I couldn’t comprehend why everything was so disorganised, things like litter really stood out where as previously I had sadly accepted it.
* Have you found yourself in any amusing situations?
Not sure if you can use this one but, when we were camping at the remote build site 16km from the main base we had to build a special outside toilet. I used to tell people off for not closing the door but the response I would get was where else in the world would you get a view like that whist answering the call of nature. I did see their point so we opted for putting a flag out but then people would forget to take the flag down which caused all sorts of confusion, we never did fully resolve it.
* Do you ever wish you had chosen a more conventional working life?
For as much as I love the adventure of being away I do find myself wishing I could spend more time at home. Its especially hard when there is illness within the family and you are not home.
* Do you think of home a lot?
I do but I find myself looking forward to getting home. The best trick is not to go directly home but sandwich something in between leaving site and getting home. This season I spent a few weeks travelling through South America and met up with my Girlfriend on route. This helped block any feelings of homesickness.
* Has working in the Antarctic changed you? In what ways?
As I said earlier I get less fazed by things now, I seem now to have greater stamina, resolve and patience and my endurance has grown. These are all qualities I lacked in my younger career. I also have a great appreciation about the urgency that things have especially when they need to coincide with shipping deadlines.
* What does the future hold for you (ie, will you remain in similar work, would you like to work in a similarly challenging environment elsewhere?)
I'am currently on Ascension Island, until October then back to Antarctica at the end of the year. Whilst the exciting work is available I will always be tempted and the ultimate would be to go into space (but that’s never going to happen). As I can't go into space I would perhaps settle for something in the desert. If the opportunities stopped coming then I would be more than happy accept a normal job back home.
* Do you have any advice for young people (or those looking to switch careers) who might want to follow a similar career path? (ie, would you recommend any particular qualifications/courses; and what mental/emotional qualities might you need?)
Sounds cheesy but my advice would be to make sure you do what interests you. If you're enthusiastic about your work you gravitate towards the things that you want to do. If you ever have any doubt or you let set backs get in your way then you probably didn't want to do it enough and therefore a positive mind set is in my opinion the most important quality to have. I would say also that on the emotional sides of things your need to not let your emotions control you and need to be able to take a step back and put things into perspective. You will also be surrounded with by people who will have experience of different things to you and you need to be able to listen and take on board the advice they offer you. If you can do this then working in Antarctica doesn’t seem half as difficult as you would expect.
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