Jenny Jefferies
Service Technician
Rolls Royce Ltd.
St. John's, NL
Why did Jenny choose this career area?
Growing up in a small Labrador fishing community, Jenny had an early interest in
the marine industry and in engineering. That interest grew when she did a career
exploration course in school and learned about the tremendous opportunities for
female marine engineers.
What’s Jenny’s educational background?
Jenny completed the Marine Institute’s Marine Engineering Technology program in
2009. She was nervous at the start of her studies, but she became comfortable in
the classroom and on her work placements.
She completed her first work term on a Canadian Coast Guard ship, and she did her
remaining two work terms on land with Rolls Royce in St. John’s. Jenny enjoyed the
work and feeling of accomplishment.
Every day was interesting. Her goal was to obtain graduate employment with Rolls
Royce, and she succeeded.
Jenny has only one course left to complete for the Bachelor of Maritime Studies.
After that, she is keen to keep on studying. She plans to further her education
by enrolling in the Marine Institute’s Master of Maritime Management program.
What’s Jenny’s job all about?
Jenny overhauls diesel engine cylinder heads and Rolls Royce products such as gearboxes,
CPP systems, winches, and thrusters. She works in the Rolls Royce shop but also
does maintenance onboard vessels. Whether in the shop or onboard the ship, Jenny
focuses on providing exceptional service. With more experience, she hopes to move
up to a Service Engineer position with the company.
What are Jenny’s working conditions like?
Jenny works at her company premises in St. John’s from Monday to Friday, and her
usual hours are 8-4. The workplace is great, and teams work together to get jobs
done well. She says she has wonderful co-workers who treat her like family.
If a ship is in port and needs servicing, Jenny works on the vessel rather than
in the shop. If the ship is too large to dock in St. John’s, Jenny has to fly out
to make a service call. She sometimes punches 12-14 hour days to get the job done.
The job requires being willing and ready to work when work needs to be done immediately.
That can mean long days, but the overtime pay makes up for it.
Rolls Royce has a strong safety culture, and Jenny is excited to embark on her new
career with her company of choice.
What benefits are associated with Jenny’s job?
Salaries range from $50,000 - $70,000 a year, but overtime can really increase the
paycheck. Jenny notes that the positive atmosphere, teamwork, and safe work environment
are all benefits.
Jenny also enjoys the benefit of completing company training overseas. It lets her
see new and interesting places while learning skills she can use on the job. She
also does some travel to port cities in order to service large ships. All in all,
she has the benefit of working at home with the excitement of doing some travelling.
What’s exciting or cool about Jenny’s career area?
Jenny likes maintaining and fixing ship parts, and she feels fortunate to have a
land-based job. She loves that she can go home every evening and that her home is
NL.
New challenges and opportunities every day make work exciting, as does the travel
that comes with the job. Jenny also has the security of knowing that if she wants
a career at sea, she can switch to a job on the water. That would let her work her
way up, with the required sea time and Transport Canada tickets.
What advice would Jenny give to people considering a marine transportation career?
Jenny wants high school students to know that a marine engineering career affords
the option of working on land or at sea. She’s a good example of that.
There are huge opportunities for those who enjoy busy, hands-on work and who are
dedicated, responsible, and ambitious. As with most careers, it helps to have good
people skills as well as effective oral and written communication skills.