Onsite with ALL4

I joined ALL4 in February 2022 as a Consulting Engineer after spending about seven years working for other consultants and in industry. One month into starting my new job at ALL4, I felt like I was starting to get the hang of things. I had found my new routine, was working on interesting projects, and began connecting with my co-workers in the Atlanta office.  When I was asked around that time if I would want to provide onsite support to one of our clients in the Rocky Mountain region, I was a little apprehensive. How would this type of opportunity align with my career goals and trajectory? Would I be able to stay connected to my new workplace while physically working elsewhere?

Some candid conversations with the Project Manager and my Coordinator helped me reframe the opportunity and see how spending some time onsite could help me reach the next stage in my career. A couple days later, I was meeting with the client and we both agreed that based on my previous experience I would be a good fit.

What does a day onsite look like?

I quickly learned that, much like consulting, there is no “typical” day. My time is split between traveling to the Rockies to work on location and providing remote support from Atlanta. Each day I take on the responsibilities of the currently vacant air specialist position at the site. Recently, I have been busy preparing quarterly and semiannual compliance reports for the various air regulations the facility is subject to. Occasionally, urgent items pop up that need to be addressed and my to-do list gets completely rearranged. I also have had opportunities to serve as the environmental representative for a construction project and to work through a facility shutdown. I collaborate with people across the plant, including other environmental personnel, operations, maintenance, and management to get my daily tasks done.

How has being onsite benefited me?

While I am not yet done with my onsite role, this project has already provided many opportunities for professional growth. Prior to this project, I have worked with many clients in the same industry sector focusing on a small part of the plant. Here, I have been exposed to the whole facility, quickly gaining knowledge of new regulations and compliance programs that are applicable to other industries and other clients I work with, too.

Despite this project having the feeling of being back in industry, I also have been able to grow my consulting skills. While on location, I’ve spent countless hours with my clients and built strong relationships with them where we can talk about work but also our lives outside of it. I’ve grown my project management skills as well, working with a team across the facility to complete some of my compliance tasks. These skills will help me as I work towards my next promotion.

This year ALL4 has been focused on creating connections and despite being away from the office I’ve been able to maintain my connectedness to ALL4. For instance, once a week, the Atlanta office carves out time to step away from our computers and have lunch together. I’ve also been able to participate in recess events, like bowling and happy hours, when I’m in town. I’m even making new connections through a program where we get randomly paired up with another employee to have a 30-minute conversation each month.