PROFESSIONAL WORK & DEVELOPMENT PLAN

THIS FORM IS A STANDARD TEMPLATE – DO NOT CHANGE OR ADAPT IT

NAME: Rory McElhinney

ACADEMIC YEAR: 2021/22
TUTORS: Tom Underhill, Paula Gwinnett

Section 1 Progress Review

The first year of engineering at harper Adams has immensely expanded my knowledge
in the applied mathematic field, especially in material loading and property modelling. I
have also started my journey into computer based FDM modelling through cad building
on my professional use of cad software. Furthermore, the course has taught me how to
professionally communicate in the engineering world; leading to the pursuing of leads in
the motorsport industry (Williams Formula E division, ProDrive, and M-sport) going
further than expected.
Outside the academic world I secured an opportunity to go professional in the rallying
world, being employed as a number 2 mechanic in a national level rally team. This has
greatly expanded my ability to network inside and outside the motorsport industry and
community, it also has forced me to learn fast paced, high-pressure, high-risk decision
and problem solving with my work and decisions directly effecting the safety of the
driving and the service team.
 PROFESSIONAL WORK & DEVELOPMENT PLAN
NAME: Rory McElhinney
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2021/20

Section 2 Strengths and Development Areas

Strengths:
My main strength is my ability to take responsibility for my own work and conduct as well
as others works and conduct. Throughout my career in rallying, I have been praised by
fellow service techs with my professional nature in accepting my faults/ mistake as well
as my ability to make responsible decision on the safety of the car being a trusted part of
the decision making on the setup of the car. I also routinely take responsibly of other
when working as a foreman I am respected by my seniors when it come to their safety
and their quality of work and any mistakes/ not to standard behaviour and work from the
whole crew being placed on my shoulders.
Development Areas:
My interpersonal and communication skill are still my weak point, having diagnosed
dyslexic slow down my ability to spell and form complex sentences with no mistakes.
This doesn’t excuse me from not having the professional skill to communicate properly,
it just causes me to take a bit longer time to complete writing task, with the
communication course showing me way to tweak my process to sound more
professional. I have been informed when working in groups my instruction and idea take
longer for colleagues to understand what I meant, with myself missing out sections and
getting frustrated when I have to explain what I think is the second time.
 PROFESSIONAL WORK & DEVELOPMENT PLAN
NAME: Rory McElhinney
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2021/22

Section 3 ACTION PLAN FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

Goal Strategy Measure

Placement: Heavy plant
equipment or heavy plant
accessories in a smaller non-
OEM manufacturer. As design
and development engineer or
as a cad specialist. Oversea
placement may be desirable.
Continue my current
networking in the industry
and to expand internationally
with my search for a
placement. Reaching out to
equipment manufacturers in
Europe, Canada, and the
states.
Replies to the inquires by the
end of this summer (2022)
with in-depth talks from the
companies that provide the
placement opportunities by
Christmas 2022 and have a
final decision made and
formalised by April of 2023.

Development Area 1: Continue to concentrate on Talk to colleges after every

Ability to communicate in a
more professional manner
Development Area 2:
Time Management/ increase
productive yield of time used
Course Choice
6a Laurel Road, Derry, Northern Ireland Bt49 9Nb
+447597563796 | mcelhinneyrory982@gmail.com
the communications modular, group project and ask about
create a not of new word my communication skill and if
their meanings and use they have seen any
cases. Increase the amount improvement with them, also
of interaction with the doing the same with my rally
professional world I am team and work crew during
already talking to, allowing the summer
myself to acclimate to the
profession environment
Increase my use of calendars Record the start of each
and plans to complete work future assignment and record
over a reasonable time, the hours of work put into the
schedule time for work assignment and when, keep
around my social and work attendance in second year to
time, develop a better a higher standard, record
sleeping pattern and get when I reach out to
better utilisation of the companies about placements
mornings. and information about the
industry.
Continue automotive engineering Bachelor’s, or after
talks with people in the industry decide if changing to
the Automotive engineering Master course. This
decision should be discussed with colleagues working
inside the industry I plan to move into, this will be done
to see if 1 year inside the company is worth more than
extra year at UNI for a master’s degree
Rory McElhinney
Personal Statement

Launched into the engineering world from a young age through motorsport and family, I’ve
been inspired to develop and built upon my passion for engineering by pursuing a career
in the Heavy plant world. From high pressure situations in the rally service park or early
morning and late nights in the company workshop, I believe I have produced the resolve
and initiative through managing situations and putting the hours in I believe I have
developed the skill needed to get my foot into the professional engineering environment.

Education
Degree name & type E.g. Automotive Engineering, BEng

Harper Adams University 10/2021 - Present

Harper Adams Engineering courses are targeted at Mechanical Engineering in the Land
based sector and take an applied approach throughout the course. Throughout the
programme students learn the theory and demonstrate understanding in an applied
context.

Relevant modules include:

Select learning areas that will support your application, e.g.:
• <Engineering Design: Tasked with designing and manufacturing a mechanical
harvesting machine, that will mount to a three-point linkage system and is fully
automated.
• Manufacturing and Operations Management: incorporating the application of lean
methodologies to operational activities, including Quick Change Over optimisation for
a stamped sheet metal press>.
<Include other achievements, awards, scholarships, positions held, and memberships of
clubs and societies which support your career choice>.

Limavady Grammar School

A-Levels/GCSEs, 2013 - 2021

GCSE includes double award science, maths, further math, product development,
programming, and French.

A Level: Math, Physics, Software system Design.

GCSE: 9 at A-C grade

• Senior Prefect In final year.
• Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Rowing
• Silver Duke of Edinburgh awards

Work Experience
Site foreman

Mcelhinney Bros Tarmac Driveways 05/2021 – 09/2022

Site foreman for ground preparation crew. Responsible for 3-man crew, safety of
operation and vehicles and the maintenance of said vehicles

I have responsibly to grease up each vehicle and check fluids every morning before
loading up what equipment was needed, this judgement also being mines to make.
 I was also in charge of doing a preliminary site check every morning and the
documentation of site condition and condition of private property neighbouring and on
site.

This job has greatly explained my understanding of the use of heavy plan in the earth
moving industry and the problems off road development engineers must face when design
new vehicles. It also gave me experience managing different type of personality in a team
and how to effectively use the strength and combat the weaknesses of my colleagues.
Fleet maintenance mechanic

Mcelhinney Bros Tarmac Driveways 03/2021 – present

Complete maintenance of the company fleet from vans and land rovers to lorries and
heavy plant equipment. Responsible for weekly and daily health checks on machines,
weekly fluid test, standard services at rescripted intervals and any needed repairs.

• Responsible for vehicle repairs

• Responsible for preventative maintenance
Has shown me the complexity of heavy plant machinery and that throwing more materials
at a problem will not always fix it, it also families me with multiple systems, including fuel
inject small and large 4 stroke diesel engines, 4 stroke and 2 stroke petrol engines,
hydraulic and air over hydraulic systems and many more.

Other Qualifications & Achievements

• Full Clean Driving Licence
• Full class 1 artic licence
• On site first aid courses
• Proficiency in 3 computer coding languages (c#, Python and Java)
• Passable French language skills, (conversational not engineering specific)

Hobbies
I have been committing at a national level as a number 2 mechanic in a rally team for 4
years this summer this being my third full time season. I also have a great passion for older land
rovers, channelling this passion in my younger years to learn about general mechanics by
restoring an older defender. I’ve also been involved in mountain biking for a few years know,
this is in a non-competitive capacity.

References

Mr Greg Rowsell
Engineering Manager, Harper Adams University, Edgemond. Newport, Shropshire, TF10
8NB
growsell@harper-adams.ac.uk
01952 815435
Mr Charlie Wright

cwright@outlook.com
Head development engineer, Tyrotech, flatt 1 church farm, Albury, Tring, HP23 5RS.
+44 7735 556852