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Hannah Long: A day in the life of a Premier Tech service engineer trainee

Hannah Long, a service engineer trainee at Premier Tech Water and Environment in the UK.

Welcome to our “Day in the Life” series, where we highlight the experiences of our newest team members at Premier Tech Water and Environment. In their own words, they share their backgrounds, aspirations and what it’s like to be part of our team in the UK. Join us as we take you behind the scenes!

My name is Hannah Long. I began my journey with Premier Tech in May 2024.

A day with Premier Tech is very different to what I’ve been used to for the past eight years.

Before starting as a service engineer trainee, I was doing treatments of a different kind — as a beauty therapist.

Swapping the salon for septic tanks has been a big change, but one I absolutely love.

I live around an hour away from Premier Tech’s Surrey office, although I’m rarely there. Instead, I get to travel, meet new people and learn the practical skills that I really wanted from my career.

A lot of my job involves servicing tanks. But not every part is the same, so there’s a lot of problem-solving and thinking on my feet. It is great to have work that is challenging.

A job with variety and flexibility

After I joined Premier Tech, I knew I’d made the right decision early on.

No two days are the same. Whilst previously I’d spend eight hours stuck in the same salon, I’m now travelling across Britain to work on different sites.

Generally, I’ll be in touch with the engineer the day prior, and in the morning, I’ll head to the site in my Premier Tech van. That can mean earlier starts and later finishes, but the work averages itself out. As a team member, I always appreciate that kind of flexibility.

On a typical day, I can be driving around much of the rural southeast. I get to see parts of Britain I may have never have otherwise visited, which is a definite plus.

On average, I work on four different sites each day. I’m meeting and working with different, interesting people — both Premier Tech’s clients and engineers — so I’m finding that variety really is the spice of life.

There can be time away too. Big jobs often require spending as long as a week away from home, but I am always so well looked after, and it is great for team building.

Portrait of Hannah Long, a service engineer trainee at Premier Tech in the UK.

Developing practical skills for future growth

I’m also getting a great grounding. My brother works for Premier Tech, so I knew before I started that I’d be in good hands. But I’m learning so much on the job.

From the tools of the trade to electronics work, what I wanted was a job that gave me practical skills — just like my dad, who was a plumber. I’m confident this is what I have.

But what I love most is the path for progression. In previous roles, that was limited. Even though I’m relatively new at Premier Tech, I can see where I can grow.

Don’t get me wrong. Days can be long, and fixing septic tanks is a big change from waxing and tints at the salon. But every day is a fresh challenge, and the variety and chance to grow makes me confident that I’ve made the right career change.

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