A day in the life of… Shannon Lynch

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love the problem solving side to my job. I am challenged every day so I never get bored. I enjoy working on both individual projects and in a team as it is a good mix of responsibility and team work.

I also enjoy the fact I am constantly learning. Whether it is new skills or learning about other departments and how the business works, at the end of the week I feel like I have achieved a lot.

What project(s) are you working on at the moment?
I have just submitted my Six Sigma Green Belt – this is a qualification in quality problem solving and lean engineering. My project for this involved developing a database for test data and coding a user interface so the physical test could be eliminated saving a massive amount of time in the design process.

I am also working on a team project to automate the design process for a 2 point suspension link. This involves Computer Aided Design, Scripting and Computer Aided Engineering software. These are all skills I have developed while working here.

What does a typical day at work involve?
Typically I start at 7am and check my emails. I have to communicate with a lot of different people to do my job. Then I usually spend a few hours developing CAD or a script as part of one of the many projects I am working on. I then go for lunch and meet up with other apprentices that work in my building. In the afternoons I usually work on my University projects which I enjoy as it is usually applying academic study to a real example at work. I also spend time planning apprentice events/school visits as a STEM ambassador.

What do you see as the biggest challenges in your job?
The biggest challenge in my job is fitting in everything I want to do. Training courses, University, STEM responsibilities, extra projects, placements and the day job are things that I have to manage all at the same time. I really enjoy having a good workload, but time management is challenging and a skill I am still working on!

What made you choose to train as an apprentice?
I never really fancied University but I loved school and learning. I also wanted to earn my own money and be independent from my parents. An apprenticeship enabled me to do all of this as well as get a degree in the process so it ticked all of my boxes.

What are the benefits of apprenticeships?
For me it is being able to continue academic study as well as have an interesting respectable job and earn my own money. It has given me so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have got if I did the traditional Uni route. Apprenticeships allow you to get hands on with a job which enhances the learning you get on a degree.

What are your future plans?
I am half way through my apprenticeship so I have 3 years left. I am planning to go on placements as part of this to see more of the business. After I finish I want to do my masters and potentially the Six Sigma black belt qualification. I thoroughly enjoy working for JLR and hopefully will have a successful career with them!

What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Outside of work I enjoy reading, going to the gym, playing rugby and cheerleading.