Bernard Koome

In my role, in the Watercare team for NZ, I mainly deal with the supply of chemicals to water and waste water treatment plants.

A large part of my role is going to customer sites and running tests that provide information on how the process is running and how the chemicals are performing in the processes. We’ll then use these results to make recommendations for actions going forward. Another exciting aspect is ongoing process improvements which can consist of lab-scale and plant-scale trials for varying or introducing new chemicals, which is awesome as you’re able to get involved with other parts of the company.

The best part is how often I am actually out of the office doing things. Some days I will only spend 2-3 hours in the office and the rest of the day is out on customer sites interacting with a whole bunch of different people. Once a month I complete a testing circuit, this means I stay overnight in a different city, for two full days I am out and about using my hands instead of just sitting at my desk.

Absolutely any person from any background can do this role. It doesn’t require a perfect GPA or specific technical degree. As long as you are confident, well-rounded, and not afraid to put in the hard yards and get your hands dirty you can succeed in this role.

My advice: Don’t be afraid to challenge people and lecturers. You can talk to them as equals and often the best relationships and best learning experiences come when you engage in constructive discussions with others.