Careers
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About Billy Condon | Electrical Engineer
Billy Condon works as an electrical engineer with ESB. He studied electrical engineering in University College Cork and went on to do a Masters in Sustainable Energy before joining ESB on their Graduate program. Billy also participates in delivering the STEPS to Engineering program run by the Institute of Engineers.
Interview
How did you get your current job?
I saw the job advertised on the Grad Ireland website and I applied online by attaching my CV. The interview process was quite difficult in that I had to do two rounds of interviews, and a presentation based on projects I had done in college.
What are the main tasks and responsibilities of your job?
My main activities include forecasting electricity prices and forecasting customer demand. This is done by calculating how much electricity people will use in the months ahead. Electricity prices are calculated by using prices for oil and gas and applying these to models which then work out electricity prices.
Does your job allow you to have a career you are happy with?
Yes. ESB is a great place to work. Work is quite challenging at times but the hours are not exceedingly long and the people who work there are excellent and informative.
The ESB allows one to have an excellent work life balance. It also promotes staff training and development, a lot of resources are put into staff training and excelling in one career. So a staff member can take part in training courses in any area in order to develop one's self and progress one's career.
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
Subjects in school: Physics, Higher Maths, (handy, but not vital, if you wish to pursue a degree - you can still do a cert (NQF Level 6) or Ordinary Degree (NQF Level 7) with pass maths), Agricultural Science, French (a language is a must if you wish to attend most universities).
As a result of my degree specialisation in electrical engineering and my Masters in Sustainable energy I decided to work with ESB Customer Supply in its Energy Trading division.
What kinds of work experience would provide a good background for this position?
If you're in college and considering a career in engineering, try and look for experience in the area you're interested in. I got experience in ESBI in Cork during college. This allowed me to get a taste of what engineers did. While on work placement I took part in team projects and also got to travel out on site in order to carry out tests on ESB substations. This was excellent and I would highly recommend it.
What advice would you give someone considering this job?
You would need to be strong on the technical areas. An engineering degree would be useful as you can work almost anywhere with ESB as an engineer. ESBI (International Subsidiary) also carry out work abroad so you would have a great opportunity to travel while working and getting well paid for it!