What's your job about?
I am a graduate engineer for Fulton Hogan. My job is to work out how to build designs such as bridges, retaining walls or roads – and then go and build them.
Currently, I am working on the Papakura to Drury project and am looking after the construction of 1.6km worth of noise walls. This means that with the help of others, I have come up with the construction methodology and sequence, ordered all the materials and supervised the construction of these walls.
On a typical day I start on-site, where we discuss the plans for the day, and any safety hazards there may be. After this my day is usually pretty varied but often will involve inspecting work to ensure it is built properly, reporting to my managers about how we are going on programme/budget and solving any problems that might arise throughout the day. A lot of my day revolves around coordinating with other people and coming up with smart ways to get things done. I spent a lot of my time-on-site and no two days are ever really the same.
What's your background?
I was born in Whangarei and lived there until I was 7. My family then moved to Orewa, just north of Auckland city. I went to Orewa College and graduated in 2016. Leaving high school I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to pursue, but really enjoyed science. My physics teacher suggested I should try engineering because of the many different paths you could go down.
I went into my first year of engineering with absolutely no idea of what I wanted to do, however after the first year, I realised all of my favourite papers related to civil, so the choice to move into this specialistion seemed pretty obvious. Overall I found uni pretty challenging and didn’t get very good grades. At one point I was quite close to dropping out however after completing my first summer work experience in construction, I was quickly convinced to stay.
My first proper work experience was as a student engineer in the retaining wall team on the Northern Corridor Improvements Project. This was my first introduction to engineering in practice, rather than just on paper. After my first week on the job I knew that this was the place for me. I really enjoyed the practical side of problem-solving and working together as a team to build good stuff. It also was encouraging to have an awesome female boss who showed me that it wasn’t just an industry for old men. This motivated me to continue with my degree. I finished uni in November 2020 and started as a graduate at Fulton Hogan the same month.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Having an engineering degree is pretty important to be a graduate engineer, however, I know that Fulton Hogan doesn’t just employ civil students. Good grades aren’t super important in the industry, but they certainly aren’t a bad thing. What is really important is having good communication skills, as you spend most of the day talking to other people.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
My favourite thing about the job is being able to see all the hard work, planning and decisions you make manifest in a physical way. 6 months ago I was sitting in a room looking at plans of the noise walls and now I get to walk past the finished product. There is nothing cooler than that. You also get to meet some really cool people and make a bunch of friends.
What are the limitations of your job?
Work can often be quite stressful, with small mistakes having large effects on work. The hours can be long and sometimes you do have to work on weekends
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