We recently caught up with Chris Gribben, Electrical Services Manager at Magna, for National Careers Week to find out his story and how he got into his career at #TeamMagna.
Chris started out as an apprentice at a local electrical installations company in Weymouth where he was on the tools and learned the tricks of the trade.
He said:
“I was very lucky to get top quality training in commercial and industrial settings with some of the best electricians I have worked with
“I wasn’t good at school; I hated learning and felt like so much of it wasn’t very relevant. I get impatient quickly and have quite a short attention span. I have learned to use this to my advantage over the years though and am very interested in learning things that interest me. I like to know why things are the way they are and how they work.”
After his apprenticeship, Chris went on to become self-employed on the tools doing a range of trades work for 10 years before joining Magna in 2019. He continued:
“It was a challenge going from being your own boss to having three or four bosses above you. However, it was nice to be paid on a set day every month and it took me a while to get used to the fact you could book holiday, and you would be paid for being off work!"
Since joining Magna, Chris has climbed the ranks from starting as a Response Electrician, to a management role looking after our trade teams, and now to his role as an Electrical Services Manager working from home. He continued:
“Coming into a more office-type role was also a challenge. It’s a totally different mindset learning to look at the bigger picture rather than just the jobs in front of you that day.
“I have been very lucky in my time at Magna to have had very good managers who have seen my potential and helped me grow, whilst giving me the right environment and challenges to prove myself."
One of our Magna values is #BeCurious and continued learning and development is really important to us, which is why colleagues like Chris are encouraged to take courses and pick up new skills as they progress in their careers. He finished by saying:
“I do lots of learning as I need to stay current and up to date with the electrical regulations which are an ever-moving goal post.
“There are always opportunities at Magna if you apply yourself, and that doesn’t always look like a straight line and could be a sideways move to continue the path. I think if you can provide value, have a good attitude and willingness to learn, that type of person will always be sought after.
“I don’t think I am done with my current job yet, but I would like to become a head of service one day in the future!”
We’re proud to have passionate and driven colleagues like Chris to lead our teams to success and provide great services for our customers.
