Sophie Davies

"I feel I am quite closely aligned to the 'Manager' personality type - I'm very self-motivated and like to get things done by working in teams. I'm personally very organised and good with managing money but I also really try and enjoy hearing others opinions and encourage shared views. I'm very adaptable to new challenges and like to have variety in the work I do. I can also relate to the 'Coordinator' role as I think I work well with others and am able to adapt communications to suit different individuals.These qualities all closely relate to being a good Project Manager. "

"My job involves solving problems, working in teams and managing people. I am challenged to present new ideas to help my projects develop, look at ways of identifying risks and opportunities in my projects and lead people to get things done. Everyday is completely different in my job and each project varies in complexity, timeframe and subject matter. This makes my job really interesting as there are always new challenges around the corner and new projects to work on. For example, I've been involved in managing multi-million pound projects on a Decarbonisation Programme in Network Rail, specifically addressing how renewable energy technology can be incorporated into the Network Rail estate. I am now moving to a Safety, Security and Operations Programme in the Research and Development Department which will be completely different. The starting salary for the Graduate Project Manager is £26,500pa with a £2000 welcome bonus upon joining the company. "

"I did a Law Degree at the University of Birmingham and had some experience from an internship at Bombardier Transportation in commercial management. I really enjoyed the nature of working on projects, I love working in teams and like to be organised and get things done. I also wanted a varied career that could take me in lots of different directions and thought project management would be interesting. In my third year of university I applied for the Network Rail Graduate Scheme and ended up being offered a place. You don't need project management experience to apply for this scheme; its all about relating what you have done to the competencies required by a role. "

"Having a work-life balance is so important! Maintaining a social life whilst working, especially whilst moving to a new place can be challenging but it is so important to make time to do the things you enjoy and see friends. I personally like playing tennis, going to the gym and going out with my friends. I live near London so exploring new places in the city is fun too! Do what makes you happy. "

"I usually start work at 8am (although Network Rail has a very flexible approach to the working day in most roles so people arrive anywhere from 7am-10am). Once I get to the office I like to set aside half an hour to go through any emails that might have built up from the previous day and write a to-do list for the day ahead, including any meetings I have to go to. I usually try and split up tasks by time on my to-do list into sections and block out time that is free in my diary to complete tasks, making sure I have breaks throughout the day. These tasks vary so much day-to-day, it can be working on my apprenticeship portfolio, updating a project plan, leading a conference call for one of my projects, reviewing finances - the list goes on. I typically have an hour for lunch with my graduate friends which is a nice welcome break. I usually finish my work day around 4pm but this can vary depending on workload and meetings. "

"After GCSEs, I went on to do A levels in Biology, Economics and Geography and achieved A*AA at my Sixth Form and then went to the University of Birmingham to do a Law Degree and graduated with a First. For my current job you need a 2:2 in any degree. "