A Smooth Transition from Shad to Hatch Engineering

Today is my fifth day at Hatch Engineering in Saskatoon. Hatch is global engineering consulting company with over 8000 employees worldwide, including around 140 within the Saskatoon branch. The office building, which is located on the University of Saskatchewan campus, is quite beautiful. Like all Hatch employees, I am normally stationed at my desk in a cubicle. My fellow employees at Hatch are intelligent, diligent and enthusiastic – not unlike Shads

Hatch’s main branch of work in Saskatoon is a potash mine located in Colonsay, Saskatchewan. This mine is being upgraded dramatically, and most of the office is currently engaged in the project. Here at Hatch, over 100 employees work in different teams to tackle a specific aspect of the project. This team-orientated approach is also similar to Shad Valley. Also, just as Shad Valley campuses across Canada come together in October, Hatch Saskatoon regularly collaborates on projects with Hatch offices throughout Canada and the world. My role within all of this is in the “Systems and Process Control” group. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I expect to learn more in the weeks that follow.

The first day at Hatch I was presented with a 75-page document, “Potash Primer”. Essentially, this primer was written to inform people, such as myself, of the process of potash mining. My job was to edit the document and identify sections that I have trouble understanding. I took pleasure in reading it and learned a great deal. Then, that afternoon I attended a Hatch party for new employees hired in the previous three months. After a very informative presentation on Hatch is all about, I had the chance to socialize and indulge in the snacks and drinks laid out. The next day, my second, I started job shadowing. The shadowing has thus far been the most rewarding part of my new job. I was most intrigued by the computer software that the engineers utilize to model their designs. Additionally, job shadowing offered me another opportunity to meet more people around the office. Since job shadowing, the real work has begun and I have been busy with various tasks. Today I spent the day filing, which despite being tedious work, is a necessary duty within all companies.

It is a pleasure to work at Hatch, and I am indebted to Shad and Hatch for the opportunity. The people here are very welcoming and are always willing to answer my questions or to assist me when needed. This month I hope to apply some of what I’ve learned at Shad Valley and offer my best to Hatch.

Nick Gibb
Hometown: Saskatoon, SK