Getting Ahead with TeamBuild… Q and A with Jen Stables

Say hello to Jen Stables. Jen is currently working in an exciting new role as a Senior Structural Engineer at Building and Places in Quatar, and competing in TeamBuild 2009 played a significant role in team ‘Generation’ in getting her where she is today.

We did a quick Q&A with Jen – see below – to learn more about her experience of TeamBuild and how it helped with her career and aspirations.

What made you enter TeamBuild and why?

A desire to learn something about multi-disciplinary projects led me to TeamBuild, and the idea that it would help me on my route to chartership. I was also attracted to the challenges that TeamBuild offered and the chance to improve my skills.

Can you tell us 3 key skills you gained from entering TeamBuild?

1. Presentation skills: relaxing, thinking before answering questions, being natural.

2. Team work skills: knowing who the right person to listen to is in any given situation and working together to build on what they know.

3. Planning skills: analysing what needs to be done in a short time frame, splitting up the work, programming and organisation of the final product.

How did TeamBuild help you and your career?

After I participated in TeamBuild, I was selected as a presenter from my very first bid for a project; it was clear to my supervisors that my confidence in interview situations had greatly improved.

If you were to give the entrants of TeamBuild 2014 one top tip, what would it be?

Think about your presentation first, then work to give the judges something to look at, as well as a clear, concise narrative.

Tell us your favourite memory from your TeamBuild experience…

My team were in the bottom third on the day, but that didn’t detract from the experience for me; if anything, being able to assess the weaknesses in our performance compared to those that did well meant that we probably learnt more from the weekend than those to whom everything came more naturally. We were also a team of individuals who were ‘put together’ and coming away with people who I bonded with during this time, people who I could bump into another ten years into my career, is great. The best memory, though has to be the magic tricks of one of the competitors in the bar one evening…and that was just one of many I could mention! There was such a variety of people with such a range of skills!

But in all seriousness, TeamBuild was a fantastic experience and it helped me get to where I am today.

If you’re thinking about entering TeamBuild next year just like Jen did, then keep your eyes peeled for more information, and remember to keep tabs on this year’s event too. You can follow us on Twitter or join our LinkedIn group and stay in the know.