‘Once you start, go all the way’

I’m passionate about supporting others with their professional development.

I run the ICE HS2 training scheme and I'm the lead ICE supervising civil engineer (SCE).

I have a network of delegated engineers and SCEs, who together, help colleagues on their journeys through the different grades of ICE membership.

Even so, it still took me a few years to summon up the courage to apply for ICE Fellowship.

First steps to Fellowship

Much of that was to do with me.

When I was younger, I was more introverted. Like many others brought up in Hong Kong, I was very obedient, worked hard and always did what the boss said.

There were other things, too – being an ethnic minority in the UK, English not being my first language, being petite and looking quite young for my age.

My old view of who could be a Fellow

To be an ICE Fellow, I had the idea that you had to be director of a company and have white hair.

That only changed when I started to meet other younger and female Fellows through the various networking groups and sessions.

I realised that the doubts I had came from within me and from nowhere else.

Helping others get professionally qualified

Before joining HS2 Ltd, I worked for a consultancy which provided a lot of mentoring support for its civil engineers.

So, when I joined HS2, I pitched the idea that we should set up something similar and gain ICE approval.

We’ve now grown to where we provide a great level of support to HS2 colleagues across the organisation.

We run mock reviews and pair people up so that they can explore together what’s available and suitable for them.

It’s helped to diversify ICE membership, as well as dispel the myth that it’s quite an ‘old school’ institution.

Bringing people together

As well as the one-to-one support, I’ve also set up peer support groups.

That brings everyone thinking about chartership or Fellowship together to make sure that there’s guidance, mutual support and the opportunity to share ideas.

It means I can help more people, when time allows.

A rewarding experience

I’ve also served on the ICE London Regional Committee and Executive Board for almost seven years.

I’ve been very active with the ICE and with the UK chapter committee of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), where I’m proud to say I was the first female chair.

It’s hard to combine all of that with having a young family and a full-time job. But it’s very rewarding.

I’ve really enjoyed meeting people from different companies, walks of life and disciplines.

The application process: chartership vs Fellowship

Compared to chartership, the Fellowship application process is far more streamlined because you’re limited to a single A4 page per attribute.

The paperwork is more about developing the skills to sell yourself – how you picture yourself and describe all your achievements.

If you work with the people around you to carve out time, it’s doable.

I think that the ICE has done a lot to streamline the process and that’s very positive. The online webinars also give a clear picture of what to do.

Getting our weekends back

I lost a lot of weekends and had to tell my kids that ‘mummy can’t take you swimming or dancing because I have to get this out of the way’. But once it’s done, we’ll get our weekends back.

As a treat, I brought the little ones to the ICE headquarters to attend the ICE certificate presentation ceremony which they thoroughly enjoyed.

Don’t do it alone

If you’re thinking of applying for Fellowship, I’d recommend that you identify your sponsors early and speak to them to set a timeframe.

Find yourself a buddy or support group which is working to the same schedule.

My buddy was a director from the same company, someone who’s also busy and has a young family.

There were a lot of late-night Teams chats where we swapped tips and encouraged each other.

Happily, we both succeeded!

Go all the way

My last tip would be once you start, go all the way. Don’t stop or doubt yourself.

Find ways to maintain your confidence and make that application.

Becoming an ICE Fellow has given me a real confidence boost.

I was already helping a lot of people with professional development, so for me it’s in many ways business as usual.

But, very quickly I’ve noticed that I’m getting approached by many other women outside my own organisation who are keen to apply.

Learn more about becoming a Fellow