Fulton Hogan operates all over New Zealand and Australia. We are involved in building and improving infrastructure, maintaining our roadways and enabling communities to connect. I am involved in ensuring day to day operations at my project are tracking well through catching up with the team on-site, liaising with our health & safety team as well as our environmental advisors.
Currently, I am located at a new pump station that is being built. I am responsible for the procurement of all the supplies needed to get the job done on time. I am also involved with managing our sub-contractors to ensure we achieve our daily goals while also ensuring that everyone gets go home safe at the end of the day.
Every day I am able to catch up with the Project Team to get their take on how we are progressing. We collaboratively suggest ideas that could improve our productivity and/or safety on-site. The team conducts weekly meetings to plan out the upcoming weeks to forecast what is required from everyone to ensure we hit our targets. I assist in measuring heights on-site with a dumpy level and occasionally get in the mix with the guys on the ground. There is a good blend of office work and on-site work, allowing me to work in an autonomous environment. After a few projects, I have noticed that being able to build a lasting rapport with the team on-site, our suppliers, subcontractors and clients.
I was born in the Philippines, moved to New Zealand when I was 4 years old and have been here since. Growing up in New Zealand definitely felt laid back and unpressured. All I knew was that I wanted to go to university at the end of schooling. As time went on, I had leaned towards the idea of chasing a career in medicine. It wasn’t until my final year at high school that I figured out what I really wanted to do. Two subjects, in particular, helped me make my choice – Year 13 Physics and Mechanical Engineering. I enjoyed the fact that I had the space to problem solve and to think of creative solutions. I realised that engineering was more than just calculations and boring meetings – It gave me the opportunity to not only explore how and why things work the way they do but also challenge the status quo. In my first year of university, I had not yet decided what type of engineer I wanted to be. However, as I delved into the world of civil engineering, I was in constant awe of what people had achieved around the world – It definitely has me pushing myself to see what I can achieve. I was privileged to get this role by applying to the Fulton Hogan Graduate Program. It has been roughly 1 year and 5 months since I first started in this position.
Most definitely! Engineering is for the thinkers and problem-solvers of the world. The civil engineering industry is constantly evolving with a heavy focus on teamwork. That said, it’s definitely not for everyone – I believe civil engineering is made for people who are interested in seeing a project come to life from the ground (Or maybe lower) up! It’s for people who want to make an impact on their community’s growth and do good work. In my opinion, the ideal civil engineer would have the following skills: soft skills, technical know-how, resilience, self-disciplined, team-focused and good communication.
Every day I am involved in ensuring that the team is working well. This includes ensuring we have all the resources available on time, with questions to be asked to the client for anything we are unsure of. I love diving into technical drawings. Creating a mental methodology of how something could be built, picking apart all the resources needed, timings and any missing information we need. What is even better is the fact that I am surrounded by a plethora of senior knowledge who are always willing to lend their 2 cents.
This job constantly throws me curve balls here and there. It’s definitely for people who are able to quickly adapt, react and learn from a situation. It does mean that it requires a lot of accountability with all the responsibilities under your belt. The biggest limitation would have to be the long hours involved in the contracting industry. Early mornings and late afternoons are the norms but Fulton Hogan understands that – The company values the work/life balance and has a big push to make sure we have enough time to do the things we enjoy.