Congratulations to Jane Brookes on achieving the prestigious status of Fellow of the IET (FIET)
As part of International Women's Day, we are thrilled to congratulate Jane Brookes, Principal Protection Engineer, on achieving the prestigious status of ‘Fellow’ of the IET (FIET), find out more about her accomplishment below.
What inspired you to pursue the status of ‘Fellow’ of the IET (FIET) and how has it influenced your role?
I hadn't considered pursuing the Fellowship until a client asked why I wasn't a Fellow yet. I always thought it wasn't for me.
Can you share some key challenges you encountered acquiring the status and how you overcame them?
My career hasn't involved writing or publishing technical papers, so I needed to understand the broader criteria. I discovered IET values leadership, promoting engineering, and developing engineers.
A particular challenge I found was that I felt I was travelling an untrodden path. Each application needs two supporters, with at least one already being a Fellow, and I didn't personally know anyone who could support me. This led to another chance meeting with an ex-colleague who turned out to have achieved his Fellowship and was pleased to help me. So it then became a task of aligning my knowledge, experience and what I do and have been doing for the past ten plus years with the criteria that the IET looks for.
The process was one of reflection; considering all that I do and have done, and seeing the value of it. In the business of life we often lose sight of how much we do, whether that be in terms of the development of the engineers around us, or inspiring children to pursue STEAM careers. We don't always recognise or see the value that others place in what we do despite how important it is to us.
How do you see your Fellow status enhancing your credibility and effectiveness in your role?
Throughout my entire career, I have wanted and have done all that I can to be a 'respected' Engineer.
As a woman in a traditionally male dominated role, I have always believed I must do more to get that recognition, hence the perceived need to collect credentials.
Fellowship of the IET is the highest standard of membership possible and in terms of enhancing credibility, it certainly counts!
The work and reflection involved in achieving the Fellowship has really helped me appreciate my value and build self-confidence.
What advice would you give to people aspiring to become a Fellow?
The best advice I can give is to really understand the criteria and seek help from someone you trust to gain perspective on your career. To achieve this level, they are looking for continual high attainment over a period greater than ten years and we often need someone else to help us to see this in ourselves.