Women In Trades Wednesday- Martina Perez
Martina Perez is a hydro operator who has been working in the industry for 5 years.
After finishing her degree and moving to New Zealand, Martina started looking for opportunities in the power generation/electricity industry- “I applied for the job and got it!”
What is a Hydro operator, you might be thinking? “A hydro operator is the person responsible to ensure the safety of the activities around the plant. In order to do so, we have to isolate the hydro generators, dams, local services or our own power lines from any source of energy such as water, oil, electricity, etc.” Martina explains.
How does someone train to become a hydro operator? Martina describes her journey- “You are normally trained by your employer. On top of that, some companies also give you the opportunity to obtain L4 Operator/Maintainer Competency, which is managed with Connexis.
I studied marine engineering, which is what leads you to be a chief engineer on a merchant ship. I always describe a ship like a mini city that can produce everything you need- from fresh water, to steam to electricity. I was amazed by how much you can actually create from very little when there are systems in place! I didn’t fully enjoy being at sea all the time, so I chose a similar industry on land. Power generation seemed to fit perfectly.”
Aside from the day to day challenges of the job itself, there are times Martina has been faced with others from time to time, such as- “Lack of trust from others, not believing I could do it, lack of women’s PPE, not being acknowledged, lack of opportunities, being treated like a princess, and the list goes on… Some challenges come from society and you can do very little about them as your circle of influence is limited (at least at the start of your career), but some others come from oneself. These are the ones you can actually manage and overcome, and when you do you feel rewarded the most, but most importantly it is then when you start also changing society.”
On what she loves about her job, Martina says- “The challenging moments that make you think outside the box, depending on the situation you are in. The feeling of powering a country is quite likeable too!”
Martina notes several standout proud moments so far in her career, including- “Achieving something I didn’t think I was ready to achieve on my own. I put my hand up to manage and be the lead operator for a whole unit outage just 2 years after starting my career. It was a complete success and although there were people backing me up, I was alone all the way and that made me have a sense of achievement I had never felt before.”
As for Martina’s future career goals- “To get into Project Management within the electricity industry. Throughout my career I have experienced the struggles and the pressure people on the ground feel when project management is not good enough, this and the fact that I love planning make me think that this should be my next step!”
On how her choice of career has impacted her life outside of work, Martina notes- “I am a bit of a clown outside work and people normally don’t take me seriously or think I’m silly. Until they ask me what I do for living, then the look changes and that makes me feel powerful and hence more confident!”
Advice Martina would you give someone looking to get into her line of work is- “Don’t even think about it more than twice, go for it! If you like being challenged by situations and people, problem solving, looking cool in your PPE, the feeling of creating, maintaining or operating the infrastructure of a country, THIS IS YOUR PLACE!!”
