What do you enjoy most about being part of our graduate team at Robert Bird Group?

What I enjoy the most would probably be the people. I think the projects we get to work on are really great, but I wouldn’t be able to learn as much as I have learned without the support of my team.

Everyone is a good mentor when it comes to working with the other groups as well. I was able to create some really good friendships with a lot of the other graduates. And it’s good to have people who are also going through the same thing as you and we’re all learning completely different yet similar things. So, while I can be good at concrete, someone else can be good at steel, and then we share our notes with each other.

Why did you choose to join Robert Bird Group?

I knew I wanted to work in structures and I wanted to be a structural engineer, and Robert Bird Group have the best projects!  I wanted to join the buildings team as well, because in the buildings team you get to see structures that you design join the Sydney skyline.

Designing and building areas which I’ve also grown up in, in Sydney, is really rewarding. I followed Robert Bird Group on LinkedIn for a long time before I started working for them and I loved the workplace culture they have.  I was also interested in the inspiring women who worked at the company, and working with them, which I’ve now had the opportunity to do.

How did you find the transition from full time education to professional engineering?

It was really scary at first and jarring because when you’re at Uni what you have to design is theoretical, and it’s quite simple. There’s not as much at stake. But working as an engineer you pay more attention to detail and put more care into what you’re doing because you realize, and understand, that your work is actually contributing to a real-world project.

Which projects have you most enjoyed working on?

I’ve enjoyed every project I’ve been on, to be honest. I’ve liked everything, and I really like the team that I’m in as well. I like being in the buildings team because every project is interesting in its own way. I’ve worked on Waterloo over-station-development, which was quite interesting because there is an extra dimension to consider in the design as it’s being built over a station. I was on site full time for three months which was an amazing experience as well.

What advice do you offer to graduates when applying for the Graduate Development Program?

I think it’s really cheesy to say, but it’s be yourself. I think what Robert Bird Group desires most – which I’ve noticed even during the recruitment night they hold – is that no single person gets full marks in every single assessment or exam they do, it’s about who you are as an individual.

If your personality does not embody the culture Robert Bird Group wants to build, then you may not be suitable for the company. For example, what is it about you that sets you apart from everyone else?  Try to show who you are, not just how good your marks are, because we all have good marks for things we are good at.