Project Manager – BAE Systems

1. Tell me a bit about why you have applied for this role/opportunity.
What appealed to you about it and why?
The role of Project Manager appealed to me as I feel it would align well with my current skills and experience,
but also provide me with the opportunity to learn new skills and diversify my knowledge. I would be able to learn
about a new industry and the inner workings of the company. I was drawn to the training that BAE provides and
the commitment they have to their training and development, which is good for both the employee and the
company.

Why BAE Systems?

Having known past and present employees of BAE systems, I am fully aware of the inclusive culture that exists
within the company which I feel is very important. I am also aware that BAE has a drive to motivate women in
STEM. BAE system is a globally recognised, innovative company which I would be proud to be part of.

How does this role/opportunity align to your goals/aspirations?

The role of project manager would allow me to develop on the experience I already have. I would be part of a
greater project and be able to perform a diverse range of duties, whilst managing customer expectations. I feel
this would be the next step in my career.

2. Tell me about a time when you had to come up with an innovative solution or idea to solve a challenging
problem/situation.
What was problem /challenge you were trying to solve and what was your idea?
How did you come up with your solution/idea?
Who else did you speak to/involve?
How did you gain support for your idea?
What was the outcome?

SITUATION
As a Property Manager, I am responsible for the a portfolio of flatted dwellinghouses across the country. In early
2022, approximately 25 owners were evacuated from their homes in the middle of the night without notice by
the Fire and Rescue Services. A nearby building had been a cause for concern for a number of years, but in the
stormy weather had become at risk of collapse. Given this, all nearby homes were evacuated immediately, and
an exclusion zone was set up.

TASK
Owners were understandably concerned about the situation – where would they stay, when would the be
allowed back into their homes, will the building collapse. We were experiencing a high level of communication
from various people. Rather than repeat the same conversations with various people, I had the idea to create a
group chat with all of the affected owners. This would allow me to publish regular and comprehensive updates
on the situation, keep all owners informed and ensure that I was utilising my time wisely.

We first had to obtain consent from the owners to include them within the group chat (to comply with GDPR).
We then had to speak with various different parties (insurers/local authorities/fire and rescue services) to obtain
updates on the situation that could then be published in one place, thus managing and maintaining customer
expectations.

I gained support for this idea by liaising with the different people involved, and advised that we could have a
much more efficient way to communicate with our clients whilst also allowing us more time to carry out work
behind the scenes. I spoke with the local authorities and we agreed that updates on the situation would be
issued to us first hand to enable us to update all of our customers at one time, rather than them being contacted
by the local authority individually.
 RESULT
Being able to cut down the level of communications we were receiving, allowed us to carry out other important
tasks. We managed to get everyone settled into alternative accommodation and also managed to negotiate a
goodwill payment from the insurer on behalf of our clients during this time of distress. We were able to go above
and beyond for our clients, which has enabled us to continue a good working relationship.

LESSONS LEARNED
Looking back, this situation showed me how to maintain composed, even in challenging times. I received positive
feedback from my clients on my communication skills which I have gone on to use in different situations. During
challenging times, it can be hard not to second guess decisions you are making, particularly when it is on behalf
of others, however I feel this was good at showing me to trust my knowledge and not second guess myself.

3. Can you tell me about a time when you tried something new or put yourself in a new situation?
What did you try and why?
How did you feel about it?
Did you do anything specific to make it easier for yourself?
What did you learn from trying it?
In 2018, I spent the summer working in the USA through Camp America. I chose to do this so that I could travel
and experience a new culture.
When I found out I had been placed, I did feel apprehensive, but I was also excited to try something new.
Once I arrived, I made sure to embrace the experience and throw myself into new opportunities. I feel this was
beneficial in making it easier to adapt.
I made some lifelong friends, with some even flying over to Scotland to experience our culture!

4. Can you tell me about a time when you made a mistake that impacted someone else?
What was the situation?
How did you know a mistake had been made?
What impact did the mistake have?
What did you do?
What did you learn from the situation?
Signed a document incorrectly.
This was brought to light when the company sent out a reminder about the correct procedure when signing
documents.
My mistake could have caused a liability issue if something had gone wrong.
In order to resolve this, I signed a new document correctly and asked for the records to be updated to reflect this.
I also went through other documents that had been signed prior to check they were correct.
Following this, I was much ,ore meticulous when signing documents to ensure the same mistake was not made
again. I also train other members of staff, so I made this a point to include in training for any staff members that
may not be aware.

5. Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team or group to achieve something.
Who were you working with?
What were you all trying to achieve?
How did you decide who did what and what was your role?
What was the end result?
How did you feel about what was achieved?
 During my time at university, I was a member of the Sports Science Society. Myself and four others were tasked
with putting together a presentation for a Freshers Week event. The aim was to recruit new members of the
society for the coming academic year.
When discussing roles, we identified who was knowledgeable on particular subjects so that we could work with
each others strengths.
We split everything off into sections to make it more manageable. If anyone was struggling with their section we
all provided a bit of extra support to get it completed.
We ended the event with a good number of new recruits. I felt proud for my part in this as I enjoyed being a
member of the society and I was keen for new students to experience this as well.

6. What steps have you taken to find out about an apprenticeship in BAE systems and the qualifications achieved
throughout the scheme?
Can you explain what you know about the role and what it is about it that particularly appeals to you?
Learning more than in current role
Diversity in the role
Training structure
Career progression
Right first time: managing works to keep things on budget and delivering on quality
Controlling budgets and expenditure
Decision making
Managing progress - meet with operations, are we on time, on budget and doing it right first
Identifying trends
Customer - MOD/navy

7. What skills and qualities do you have that would make you ideal for this role?
Management role just now
Attention to detail
Remaking calm
Convey complex information in an easy way
Working with stakeholders and understanding their needs

8. What excites you most about starting your career with us?
Job for life - the company supports you
Part of something bigger
Shipbuilding is part of glasgows history so you get to part of it
Great place to work, growth benefit

9. What do you know about the qualification framework and the Apprenticeship programme?
Aware of lean learning
Opportunities for learning

10. Is there an area of the business that interests you and tell me why?
Know of sheet metal workers and where people can go
Project management excited me know but I am aware people move a lot and would like to know more

11. Tell us about a time you achieved something

Achieved bachelors but wanted to obtain honours so