Waqar Shah
Former AIT / Project Engineer based in our Montreal, Que. office
What is your current role at IPEX?
My role consists of delivering various types of projects for our plants – including those focused on safety, expansion, adding capacity and replacement. Generally, plant needs are presented to me, and I then explore the challenge, create a scope of work, establish a budget, validate a solution, and finally deploy the solution with the help of the plant team and contractors as needed.
What is the most significant learning you’ve received from the program?
The most significant learning that I received was not one moment in particular; rather, it was the well-roundedness of the program that contributed greatly to my learning. Each department rotation contributed to my skills, experience and success in different ways: The ability to analyze and solve problems from my process engineering rotation, combined with the fast pace of decision-making from my plant rotation, have both played a part in helping me succeed in project engineering.
How has the program helped you to achieve your goals?
My first and initial goal was finding which position I was best suited for, and the rotational nature of the program really helped me to achieve this. The program offers a comprehensive view of how IPEX functions as a whole, and having so much support during my rotations and such smooth transitions between them definitely helped me focus on finding what I like.
What advice would you give to someone who has just enrolled in the program?
My advice would be to keep an open mind and stay curious! You don’t always know where you’ll end up at the start of this program, and that’s okay – just let yourself get absorbed in the various experiences. There are things to be learned from each role, and you can take all of it with you as you move forward in your career. There are also so many knowledgeable people in the company that have been where you were, so try to talk to as many people as you can.