Institution news
On 15 and 16 June this year the Institution held its annual Volunteer Conference, this year held in Birmingham, UK.
This two-day event aims to strengthen the skills existing volunteers need to provide local support to other members. It is an invaluable opportunity for volunteers to meet and learn from the Institution and other volunteers, network with like-minded professionals, and stretch their engineering acumen while having a great deal of fun. This year 170 volunteers from around the world participated in the event.
Here we catch up with the Young Member Representative for Singapore, Zac Arackakudy AMIMechE, who tells us about himself and his experience at the conference, and how taking part helped him not just with his volunteer role.
“I am a Design Engineer for Halliburton, Singapore. I am involved with designing and customizing down-hole tools for the oil and gas industry; currently I specialize in the Intelligent Completion products that will help Halliburton’s customers operate their oil or gas wells remotely and safely.
As the Institution’s Singapore Young Member Representative I help organise the Student Chapters here, alongside university representatives. I also help out with the social media aspect of the Singapore Branch, including its Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
I joined the Institution as an Associate member just over a year ago and became a volunteer with the Singapore Branch committee straight after. Through being a volunteer for the Institution I have been able to build a strong network of contacts within the industry and my professional network has grown exponentially. I have improved my own personal networking and socializing skills as well, through attending Institution events.
Initially, being part of the Singapore committee was challenging because most of the other members on the committee are very experienced, and leaders and pioneers in their respective fields. I felt like I was just a clueless beginner, but they were all very helpful and guided me into fitting right in.
The Volunteer Conference changed my perspective of the Institution. Prior to this, the Institution was, in my mind, just another networking organisation, a way to meet other like-minded individuals. But it’s so much more than this. By going to the conference I learnt about what the Institution can do to help me progress my career; the tools and mentoring services available, and the recognition I would receive in the industry through being a Chartered Engineer and, later, a Fellow. Even the Institution’s library, an amazing resource for any engineer, was something I knew little about before the conference.
The most memorable part of my trip was visiting the Institution’s headquarters in London after the conference. The history, the engineering heritage… To put it simply - I was swept off my feet.
For me, the most valuable aspect of the conference was the people I met. The contacts I made will undoubtedly help me
in my professional and personal life.”