1. Describe your Graduate Program experience? (roles, rotations, projects etc.)
I have been a graduate civil engineer on the Oxley Highway to Kundabung Pacific Highway Upgrade since I started with Lendlease. For my first 13 months I worked with on the Wilson River Bridge. At over 500 metres long, with 7 river spans across two separate channels, and with construction access by use of cofferdam, this bridge has been very challenging in terms of logistics and planning. I have been working with the rigid pavement team for a little over 2 months since then, with our first base pavement placed just before Easter this year.
2. What do you love about Lendlease or what has been your proudest moment at Lendlease and why?
One of my proudest moments was erecting the fifth span of the Wilson River Bridge super tee girders with a 600t super lift crawler crane, allowing access on foot from the north side of the river to the cofferdam built from the south side. This was the realisation of a lot of planning, preparation, and hard work on the part of the entire team.
3. Reflecting on your experience to date, what has been your biggest learning curve either on the job or through the structured L&D courses?
My biggest learning curve has been developing a working relationship on site with my fellow engineers, the client, and the field staff. Through these relationships I have learnt more than ever before about planning and programming, safety, and quality. An excellent example of this has been working closely with field staff when installing mortar pads on site – the pads support the bearings and must be placed to very tight tolerances while working at height. By talking with field staff about their methods and tools available, we have been able to improve processes and increase our finished accuracy while improving safety with engineering controls.
4. What’s the best piece of career advice you have been given?
You will never look back on your career and remember your failures – failed exams, rejection letters, or work related complications. You will look back and remember all the successful ventures you enjoyed as a result of your efforts.
5. If you could give one piece of advice to people interested in joining Lendlease on the Graduate Program, what would you say?
You need more than just your degree – understanding of the industry, the structure of the workforce, and experience in a similar field of work. Obtaining this knowledge should be as important as your university studies, if not more so.