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Cezara-Lidia Jalba

With the support of her employer, Cezara-Lidia was all set to gain her Engineering Technician (EngTech) title. Focused on attaining her title by the end of 2023, she shares the steps she took to achieve her goal.

What's next after university?

After attending the University of York, to study Electronic and Computer Engineering, Cezara-Lidia found her calling. Whilst on a placement year at university, where she did an integrated Master’s, Cezara-Lidia completed a year at Sellafield Ltd as a CE&I Design Engineer working on control systems replacement at a nuclear waste storage plant.

Passionate about her work, she returned as a graduate to Sellafield Ltd, where she has thrived over the past two years. During this time, Cezara-Lidia embraced three secondments, allowing her to diversify her experience across various projects.

One of these assignments involved serving as a systems engineer for nuclear waste encapsulation plants. She took charge of delivering system health reports for all fire systems within her designated area.

She now finds herself in her third six-month rotation, a testament to her commitment to growth. She spends her time working on design engineering tasks, project management and preparing for site visits.

Receiving support

Sellafield LTD is part of an accredited scheme in partnership with the IET that helps their employees achieve Professional Registration. Cezara-Lidia utilised this scheme with the support of her employer and the IET, which enabled her to embark on the path to achieving her Engineering Technician (EngTech) title and reach her full potential.

“I was encouraged by Sellafield Ltd to submit an EngTech application. It gave me the opportunity to get recognised for my work and be proud of my achievements so early in my career.”

Sellafield Ltd takes pride in having a considerable number of employees pursuing their Professional Registration early in their careers, reflecting the company's dedication to fostering a culture of excellence and Professional Development.

Building an application

Cezara-Lidia knew and valued the importance of receiving a Professionally Registered title. She reached out to a Professional Registration Advisor (PRA) and built a strong support network to help her write her application for EngTech.

Once she had gathered a strong amount of evidence for her application, which included her work on control systems, requirements capture, design work, volunteering, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), system assessments, and training. She used our online tool, Career Manager, to track her Professional Development, experience and skills against the UK_SPEC competencies.

“I love Career Manager – the UX is pleasant, and the UI is straightforward and simple to use, to the point. I like having everything in one place.”

Unfortunately, Cezara-Lidias’s first application came back upon her submission, but that didn’t discourage her from applying again. It just meant that she needed to add a little bit more information to solidify her application.

“It was easily completed through a UK-SPEC self-assessment on Career Manager and the IET was really supportive in guiding me through that.”

Once Cezara-Lidia had re-submitted her application, it was successful. Giving her the Professional Registration title of EngTech.

“It’s such a wonderful feeling reaching the end goal and getting that certificate!”

Success with EngTech

Now that Cezara-Lidia’s expertise is acknowledged and endorsed globally by the Engineering Council and the IET, it has bolstered her self-assurance and reinvigorated her commitment to continuous improvement.

“Success in my career is doing work that I can be proud of and brings value to the world.”

With her new title, Cezara-Lidia has set her sights on achieving other Professionally Registered titles. She plans on applying for an Incorporated Engineer IEng title by the end of this year.

In the meantime, she is giving back to the Engineering Community as a STEM volunteer and has just been paired with a mentee. 

“It’s also important for myself, as it gives me confidence.”

Advice for applicants

Cezara-Lidia wanted to share her top tips for anyone else who is looking to apply:

  • Contact a PRA - “I got a lot of help from my manager, mentor, and my local PRA.”
  • Get a Mentor - “A good mentor is really important, as you will go back and forth quite a bit drafting the application with them”.
  • Utilise Career Manager – “I love Career Manager; I like having everything in one place.”
  • Keep up with your CPD – “CPD is what keeps me engaged with what’s new in the industry”.