AJN Operative, Tara
Tara,
one of AJN’s Production Operatives
Q. What does your role involve?
I unload the blaster using a five-ton CombiLift which means I stack up steel ready for the customer and load saws ready for cutting.
Q. How long have you worked at AJN and why did you choose to work here?
I’ll have been at AJN six years in September (2022) and joined because I wanted something different and fancied a challenge. It always looked busy.
Q. What do you best like about your job?
Driving my Combi and I like the people I work with. The workplace is also nice and I get left to do my job which I like.
Q. What challenges do you come up against in your role and how do you handle them?
Every day is different. I’m quite short so AJN put a different seat and an extra step on my Combi. Everyone is always happy to help so I get help lifting things when I’m struggling.
Q. Looking at the company today compared to when you started, what do you think has changed the most and has it changed for the better?
We are a lot busier now. There’s also more Health and Safety in place, which is great to see to ensure we’re all working as safe as we can be.
Q. What’s your best memory or biggest achievement during your time at AJN?
My biggest achievement is now being able to make decisions and having more confidence in what I’m doing. I recently completed a sponsored bike ride, which was a great achievement.
Q. The steel construction industry, typically, can be seen as a male dominant sector, do you feel that’s the case at AJN?
No.
Q. o you feel you are treated any different by your colleagues because you’re a woman?
No.
Q. What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a woman thinking of starting a career in the steel construction industry?
Do it. It can appear daunting at first but once you are doing it it becomes second nature.
Q. What do you do in your spare time – any hobbies, interests?
I like cycling, walking, partying and enjoying life outside of work.