What's your name and job title? What did you study? When did you graduate?
I’m Nathan, I’m a Project Officer in the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA). I studied a bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide and I graduated with honours in 2013.
Where did you grow up? Important stages of your life (school, education, experience abroad, jobs etc.)
I was born and raised in Adelaide, where I had lived all my life before moving to Canberra for work.
How did you get to your current job position? For how long have you had it?
I was placed in this position straight out of the graduate program, after working with the grad team to match my skills, training and interests with the requirements of the department. I’ve been in this position for about a year and a half, and now that the project is reaching its final stages before implementation I’m able to see how much I’ve achieved.
What does your employer do?
DVA’s purpose is to support those who serve or have served in the defence of our nation and commemorate their service and sacrifice, through:
What are your areas of responsibility?
I undertake a wide variety of tasks in support of the project. My primary responsibilities lie in project management & contract management. I am also regularly required to work on business analysis and stakeholder management, in support of our team leads.
Can you describe a typical work day?
A typical day begins with checking my emails. This is a fast moving project and issues can arise overnight which require me to restructure the day’s plans. Clear communication is important within the dispersed team, as is the ability to effectively manage my time and tasks.
Then, I will begin work on the most urgent tasks of the day. These have varied as the project has progressed, moving from planning and defining the scope of the project, through investigation and analysis to digging into the technical details of the final build.
In the afternoon, I might have to spend some time writing up a report, so that the people with a less technical background can be properly informed and make the best decisions for the department.
Suppose a student was considering your career. What would you advise them to study? Are there any soft skills it would beneficial for them to develop? Should they pursue any sort of work experience?
I’m just beginning my career, but any of the main streams of engineering should give you a solid basis in technical skills and knowledge. The work done by DVA is not typical engineering, in that you’re probably not going to spend all day on differential equations. More valuable is the ability to visualise and solve complex problems with technical, data based answers. Manipulating and understanding complicated datasets while making reasonable assumptions and justifying your reasoning are the key.
In terms of soft skills and work experience, the wider and more varied experience you get early can help you define what you are best at and what you enjoy doing before you start to specialise.
What sort of person succeeds in your career?
Someone who is able to think fast and pick up new things quickly and intuitively, as well as focus on a single task, complex task when required. Additionally, they should be able to understand the technical details and also be able to clearly communicate with decision makers, who are looking at the long view and may not have any technical background.
What do you love the most about your job? Which kind of task do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy that I get to work on varied, interesting problems. I get to see something I’ve worked on go into production to change Australia for the better. The ongoing support provided by grad team, especially in the first year or so makes DVA a great place to work. Finally, I come to work every day to will make life better for people who have given so much in service of this country, which is not a small thig.
What’s the biggest limitation of your job? Do you bear a lot of responsibility? Do you have to work on weekends? Is your job physically demanding?
Moving to Canberra was a bit of a shock, but I’ve come to really enjoy living here. While all grads are based in Canberra, there are DVA offices in all states and capital cities if you have a goal to work in a particular city. Additionally, working in government takes a little bit of getting used to, as it’s a different way of working from private industry.
What would your career be if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now?
If I wasn’t working to support veterans, I’d probably be in a hole in the middle of nowhere, digging up dirt to sell to China.
Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current university student?