My Route to Chartership: Sony George

27 February 2025

Sony George MCIWEM C.WEM, a senior modeller at AtkinsRéalis, shares her route to becoming a chartered water and environmental manager

I am currently a senior modeller with the AtkinsRéalis wastewater team. I am responsible for the delivery of multiple drainage area projects across the UK and Ireland while managing teams based in Belfast and India. Over the last 10 years, my role has evolved from junior modeller to technical lead and project manager.

Choosing a chartership?

I knew early in my career that I wanted to be chartered. I am always up for a challenge and knew that it was a great way for me to prove myself, gain a wider appreciation of the water sector and achieve industry recognition. Becoming a chartered water and environmental manager felt like the most obvious fit, considering my current role and future aspirations.

Preparing my application

I formally started the process during the COVID-19 pandemic when I had more time on my hands. It took a lot longer than it should have because my day job always takes priority. I also relocated to the UK as a part of my secondment and took a break from the application to give myself some time to settle in a new environment.

The hardest challenge is to keep motivated and work at it regularly. Having had a few years of experience under my belt, the application process was relatively easy, especially under the guidance of my mentors.

I chose my project lead and line manager as my mentors since they knew my career path pretty well and knew what aspects of the application would challenge me. They helped me fine tune the application and identify any gaps. They were also in a position to help me gain expertise by setting my yearly goals based on the aspects where I needed to improve.

Having my competencies reviewed by multiple people meant that I got a lot of conflicting suggestions. At the end of the day, I had to follow my instincts about which advice to follow.

Preparing for the professional interview

I chose a project that has been a cornerstone of my career – I was confident I could showcase my passion for my work through the presentation. I created a narrative that highlighted my contribution while outlining how I have been able to achieve the necessary competencies.

I talked to a lot of previous applicants and prepared a list of questions they had faced, including some topical subjects that could come up during the interview.

I also read recent issues of The Environment, listened to the Planet Possible podcast and did a lot of mock interviews until I reached a point where the whole process became less overwhelming.

On the day of the interview, I was pleasantly surprised by how it all seemed more of a conversation than a test. The assessors were friendly and tried their best not to intimidate, helping me settle my nerves. It’s helpful to remember that they are genuinely interested in getting to know your career.

My top tips for getting chartered

• Believe in yourself and make that start! It’s not that hard once you go through each competency, and try and develop yourself accordingly.
• Finding a mentor who supports your aspirations and helps you stick to your goals.
• Setting deadlines! Plug in regular calls with your mentor and have a plan of what to achieve ahead of each meeting.

How has being chartered benefitted you?

I have seen my confidence grow. Chartership has helped me stand out when being put forward for opportunities. I have met a lot of interesting people during the many meetings and networking events as well. The process of attaining the necessary competencies has also ensured that I can now be a well-rounded engineer with a better appreciation of my industry.

Next steps

I want to expand my qualification and attempt Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) in the future. I am also helping my junior team members with their own chartership journeys. But most importantly I am excited to work on interesting projects that create sustainable long-term solutions for future generations.

Want to become a chartered water and environmental manager? Find out more at: ciwem.org/membership/chartered-member.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2025 print edition of The Environment. CIWEM members can read the issue in full (and all back issues dating back to 2016) via MyCIWEM. We also publish 'The Environment' newsletter – free every month – subscribe here.

Author: Sony George, a senior modeller at AtkinsRéalis