Trainee Project Manager Calum McDonagh tells us about his role 

Calum McDonagh Trainee Project Manager

Calum joined Aptus in 2021 in a position within the CAD team. In 2022, he was one of three internal applicants to successfully gain promotion to a trainee project manager role, which supports the delivery of our contracts and operations across Lancashire. Sixteen months into his training, we caught up with Calum to find out how he is doing. 

Why did you apply for the position? 

I thought the role looked really varied and interesting and offered good career progression; I was ready for a new challenge in my career, so I applied. 

 

How might a typical day look for you? 

There is no such thing as a typical day, but the week is structured to ensure targets are met and projects remain on schedule. The role is very active and requires a lot of travel. I have a broad range of responsibilities, from dealing with our operatives and subcontractors and ensuring they have all the materials, equipment and permits needed for them to carry out the work, to programme meetings with the senior team and liaising with site managers and clients. And that’s just the start! 

 

Tell us about some of the challenges. 

The role is full on, there are daily challenges to resolve to make sure that projects run smoothly. You need to have good composure to manage the expectations of all the different people you come into contact with throughout the course of a project, but I think I’m team-minded and enjoy working with people to find solutions. 

I think I’ve grown into the role – my first meeting at a major client’s headquarters was nerve-wracking! Now I’ve become more confident and used to the demands of this industry and fast-paced environment. 

 

What do you enjoy about the role? 

The job is challenging but interesting, and I like being kept on my toes. I’ll never stop being a ‘trainee’ as you keep learning and developing your knowledge and skills every day. 

Initially, I started by shadowing one of our Lancashire PMs but have been trusted with more responsibility. I have an extremely experienced team around me who continue to support my development in the role, and working so closely with more experienced colleagues, I’m able to get a good insight into their roles and the opportunities for career progression at Aptus.