Women In Trades Wednesday- Jen McLean

Jen McLean is an Electrical Fitter who has been working in the industry 18 years. She began her apprenticeship at age 17, and she’s now 35.
“My 2 boys are super proud when mum comes to their school or kindy to help out with my tools! That’s a good feeling!”

Jen is from a mining town in Canada, where she says opportunity in trades was aplenty. As a teenager, she wanted to be a writer, (she wanted to write text books!) - but didnt want to get a student loan to go to university. “I figured if I got a trade and got a job at the mine, it would help me be a more well-rounded person, as the hands-on experience, the focus on technical skills, and the need for competency in maths and sciences would make me push out and develop aspects of my brain/self that weren't necessarily my "core strengths". And then, once I had a career, I could support myself through uni if I still wanted to go.”

Why electrical? Jen explains: “I picked electrical because - well - it was as good a trade as any, at the time. I thought it would be great to learn how to read drawings, I think that’s why I chose it, to start out with. But once I got my job and got stuck in, I realised it was the taking stuff apart and putting it back together that I enjoyed. The journey I have been on has been, as a result, quite hands-on, mostly with big stuff - work in substations and switchyards, power stations, etc.”

Trade school was challenging for Jen as math wasn't her strong suit- “It just meant I had to work harder. It was rewarding to nail stuff that was actually really "hard" for me; but there are plenty of people who helped me along the way. I ended up doing really well on all my exams, and I got ESITO Apprentice of the Year in the final year of my apprenticeship (ESITO was the training organisation that has been replaced by Connexis).”

Jen’s favourite part of her work is when she works on HV transformers, circuit breakers, generators, and the likes. “I have developed a huge passion for asset health, and learning what the plant needs in order to live its best life, and then doing my best to help achieve that. My love of technical writing has made me a unique tradie, and I have loved the part of my job where we are constantly making things better for the future. Creating procedures when they don't exist; researching plant history, developing strategies to maintain plant for the long run. I've been a bit different from those around me in that regard, and it has paid off for my company (I think they call that diversity!)”

A typical day at work for Jen includes things like maintenance, operating (HV), permitting, inspecting, fault finding, meetings, developing maintenance plans, planning jobs, upskilling, training, research, pricing... “It could be any combination of these things! No two days are the same.”

Jen points out that there is a unique set of challenges for women working in the masculine industries- “Everyone has their own journey and experience. The important thing is to find mentorship when you need it, reach out to others who you can identify with, and do what you do because you love it. The challenges I face are my chosen set of challenges, and there is reward in overcoming those. I don't get it right every time, but I am constantly learning about myself, about others, and about how to get the most out of the relationships with those around me. that journey never really ends.”

On what she loves most about her trade, Jen explains: “The ability to use my skillset to give back to my community in a super useful way. Also, the fact that I will NEVER be without work (unless it’s by choice). I have recently resigned from my "dream job" -and am super stoked about how exciting it is to be going out and finding new challenges and opportunities. A dream job doesn't always mean a forever job.... sometimes you gotta slay it and move on - and don't look back!

Jen lists her most proud career achievement as “snagging my dream job as a generation technician, something that I've wanted to do since I first moved to NZ at the age of 20!” and includes continuing to grow her core skills, and to keep learning how to be a good leader-not by title but by action, as some things she plans to continue working on in the future.

Advice she would give someone looking to get into her trade? “Just give it a crack, I guess. Back yourself. Don't let people's perception of you dictate the choices that you're going to make.”