Caolán Dolan

From apprentice to technical lead

Caolán began his career as an apprentice electrician with J&R Electrical in 2004. Over eight years, he worked his way up to the role of site supervisor. In 2011 he moved to British Telecom (BT), joining the Power Operations team.

In his first role at BT, Caolán was responsible for maintaining the critical infrastructure within Telephone Exchanges & Data Centres, including generators, UPS, cooling, AC/DC power systems, Medium Voltage and more. The variety of tasks and challenges in this role helped him grow and develop, eventually leading to his promotion to Technical Lead.

“I really enjoyed this role as it had great diversity and no two days were the same.”

Caolán’s drive to progress meant that despite his success, he felt limited in his role due to his location. In May 2024, he took a bold step, leaving BT to join Eaton Electric Ltd. as a Technical Project Manager.

“To secure a role within this industry working on some of the largest projects is amazing and a great challenge for me to embrace.”

Getting professional recognition

Caolán joined the IET and successfully gained his EngTech status in 2021.

“I have always known the IET throughout my career and they are an organisation that has highly intelligent people working on regulations and codes of practice for the electrical industry.”

After securing EngTech, he immediately began to apply for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) registration, which he was granted in September 2022. He was on the up at work and wanted to show his dedication to others around him, so he began to apply for his Chartership (CEng).

“Once I achieved IEng and the Professional Registration process was fresh in my mind, I decided I was going to work towards CEng as it was my ultimate goal.“

To Caolán, becoming Professionally Registered was a recognition of his commitment and dedication to his career over the years.

“As someone who didn’t go down the university route, I saw this as a great way of showing that I am working at the same level as someone who did.”

With the help of Career Manager, he found the application process straightforward.

“It has helpful information tabs to provide useful knowledge for each section so that you know what information to input.”

Caolán had calls with our very own Professional Registration Engagement Manager (PREM), Lucy Byrne every 3 months. Her support and guidance were invaluable throughout his application process, providing him with set targets and encouragement.

“Lucy really made you feel like you had a team behind you pushing you on to achieve your goal.”

Life after registration

Caolán’s Professional Registration has enabled him to conduct himself in line with the IET’s Code of Conduct and inspire others to do the same. This recognition has significantly advanced his career.

“Achieving your goals such as CEng is also a way I measure success along with career progression.”

Now holding an internationally recognised title, Caolán brings significant value to his employer, representing both himself and the company professionally and providing solutions that enhance efficiency and success.

“It has given me more responsibility and allowed me to progress within my career as companies see it as a highly regarded recognition.”

Advice for others

After receiving such fantastic support from the IET through our mentoring system, Caolán wanted to pay it back. So he became a Mentor at the IET.

“I wanted to give something back and help other engineers who are on that journey.”

As a Mentor, Caolán has some advice for those who are applying for Professional Registration:

• Go on the Professional Registration webinars that the IET provide “ A great insight into the journey and what it entails.”
• Reach out to colleagues or friends who have completed the registration – “There are so many helpful people out there who have been through this journey and are happy to share their experience.”
• Get in touch with a Mentor – “My Mentor provided me with great support and kept me on the right path. I had great trust in him and knew that he would guide me in the best possible way.”