Hi Pauline, tell us a little about you and how you came to CERN.
My name is Pauline EMERY, I am 35 years old and I come from Paris, France. I am a civil engineer and I have worked on construction projects in France and in several countries in Africa during the past 10 years. I was looking for new challenges in a place more connected with nature, so, when the CERN position appeared on Job-up I immediately applied.
Indeed, even if working at CERN is an incredible opportunity, the position was even more attracting as the chance to work on the whole lifecycle of such a high valued project is a rare occasion in a career.

What do you do at CERN today?
I am now working as a construction site supervisor in the International Relations Sector on the Science Gateway project, which will be the new educational and outreach facility designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano. 
During the past year, I have been working with the project team on the call for tender documents and on the bids analysis for the construction of the buildings; during the construction phase, I will be on site to monitor the works with the architects team and will coordinate the interfaces with the various CERN services.

What is it like for you to be working at CERN?
Working in such a big organisation and such a diverse environment is very stimulating as I meet new people and discover other services almost every day.
Furthermore, I have the chance to work in a small project team which allows me to be involved in all the aspects of the project, from the construction of the building to the exhibition and laboratory development but also to be independent in my daily work organisation.

Have you encountered any challenges along the way?
Like many of newcomers at CERN, I guess the first challenge is to settle in the area, mostly with a family, in a short period, but the HR services and website are very helpful.
Then, learning the several processes in place at CERN is the first step when starting a position and I had a lot of help from the team and colleagues.
Finally, the 2020 lockdown period during my first year allowed me to reinforce my communication skills to be efficient in the teamwork and not loose time in the Project.

Any advice to potential candidates out there?
I have a few friends hesitating to apply at CERN because they are afraid to work in a multicultural and multi-languages environment: my advice as a response to that is: do not hesitate! CERN is an amazing and stimulating work environment, with a large diversity of professional specialties and a lot of training opportunities. If a position suits you, you should not wait to apply, everybody has a chance to discover and learn here.

Does Pauline's story inspire you? Be the next! Apply now and take part. 

https://careers.cern