What's your job about?
I am currently working at Stantec as a Graduate Process Engineer in their water team in Sydney. Stantec is a global design and delivery firm with over 25,000 employees worldwide. Process engineering is all about identifying and designing the industrial processes required to achieve the desired outcome. For example, for me, it would involve water and wastewater treatment design - dirty water goes in and clean water comes out! A common challenge in my role is having to provide an improved treatment capacity on a space-limited site, this requires problem-solving, collaboration with other disciplines and adoption of new technologies. Being a Process Engineer in the water team at Stantec is about future-proofing water infrastructure for our clients and providing improved services for our communities.
Now I am currently working on an odour mitigation project in Bombo, New South Wales. The water team are currently investigating odour concerns and producing a risk odour management plan, plus short- and long-term odour treatment options. This project has included a large amount of client liaison and site work, giving me an opportunity to develop my communication skills and on-site experience which is crucial for a graduate engineer to progress in their field.
What's your background?
I was born and raised in Sydney. Straight after high school, I fell into a job in construction which I worked in for five years. In time, I realised that the position and industry were not fulfilling for me, and I wanted to make a more conscientious decision about what to do with my professional life. I decided to travel to Canada and the USA for a multi-year working holiday where I worked as a camp counsellor, ski lift operator, and for one torturous spring in northern British Columbia, a tree planter. During this time, I met people from all walks of life (including many engineers) and realised that I needed a job where I was challenged intellectually. When I returned, I enrolled in Chemical Engineering at The University of Sydney as a mature age student. I chose Chemical Engineering over other disciplines because of the variety of directions I could take my career and I already had experience in a manufacturing plant.
My greatest achievement at university was receiving an industry scholarship where I completed my honours thesis while living in Griffith and working for Griffith City Council. The goal of the project was to investigate the impacts of wind on the hydrodynamics of Lake Wyangan and the conditions that encourage blue-green algal bloom. I achieved this by creating a computer-based 3D hydrodynamic model and simulating the lake under various meteorological conditions. The results were used to make recommendations to the council and develop strategies to mitigate the algal bloom and reduce lake closures.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
If you have an engineering degree, absolutely! The world would be a very boring place if everyone had the same background. I believe our backgrounds contribute to our word choices and the diversity of the people I work with at Stantec adds up to a breadth of knowledge that positively impacts every project we work on. The most important thing to do is enjoy the challenge of what work (and life) throws at you, gain some life experiences along the way through travel experiences and be prepared to jump in feet first!
What's the coolest thing about your job?
Aside from working with a great bunch of people, I’ve been lucky enough to conduct a significant amount of site work that gets you out of the office regularly. I’ve had work trips to Kiama in New South Wales and Brisbane, and I will get the opportunity to present at several conferences this year which I’m very excited to take part in.
What are the limitations of your job?
Sometimes you may get assigned to a project that you wouldn’t ordinarily choose to work on – maybe it just doesn’t get you excited. At Stantec, they are open to hearing about the type of work you enjoy and making sure you get the experience you want. It’s important to understand what types of projects you would like to work on and then communicate that to the team.
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