How long have you been employed at Robert Bird Group?

I started as an Undergraduate in February 2023 and was offered a permanent position to continue on as a Graduate Structural Engineer.

What do you enjoy most about being at Robert Bird Group?

I have enjoyed working on the design of a wide range of different projects, including but not limited to roof drainage, marine structures, hospitals, temporary structures, existing structures and construction engineering. I also get to work with a lot of different people in the office to help facilitate with a variety of projects where I work closely with a new lead engineer. I particularly enjoy the opportunities when visiting a variety of sites and drafting inspections reports. This gives me the opportunity to grow and learn on a daily basis.

How many people are in the office in Adelaide?

There are approximately 20 people in the Adelaide office.

Why did you choose Robert Bird Group?

I chose Robert Bird Group because of the types of projects we work on, there is always something interesting and challenging. It’s not just high-rise buildings and bridges, but a range of bigger and smaller jobs. Robert Bird Group have a lot of resources being a Global company with many offices around Australia and beyond which provides opportunities to work collaboratively with other RBG offices on shared projects and also provides the potential to travel. We’re a growing company so there are many exciting opportunities coming in.

How have you found your transition from full time education to professional engineering?

It was definitely a big change going from studying to working full time. It’s very different and a lot more structured. University is more theory based whereas work can be more practical, putting the theory into practice. You also have to communicate with a lot of different professional’s/companies such as Architects, Clients, your peers and a variety of different stakeholders.

In terms of the transition, was there anything you had to do to enable that? And was there anything that Robert Bird Group did to support that?

It was a matter of adapting quickly and getting familiar with what is required to successfully achieve a professional work/life balance. RBG helped make this transition as seamless as possible.

What projects have you most enjoyed working on?

My favourite project to date was the Yorke Peninsula Jetty Inspection Assessment and Reports where I got to go on some road trips along the SA coast and have look at these Jetties up close from a little boat. Based on the inspections, I wrote up Condition Assessment Reports and Design Reports for each of the Jetties.

And have you been working with seniors in that space, or have you felt like you’ve had a little bit more responsibility or accountability?

Since this was one of my first projects, I worked with the seniors but this project involved most of our office staff, so it was essentially a collaborative effort from the entire office. Based on the success of this project we have won more Jetty inspections in the Eyre Peninsula where I will most likely have a more senior role which I am very excited about.

What advice would you offer to graduates when applying for the Graduate Development Program at Robert Bird Group?

Be open minded to new opportunities and say yes to opportunities that may present itself. Do not believe that as a Graduate that you cannot contribute in a significant way because you will bring your own individual strengths which can provide great benefits. Initially your role might be to assist the seniors and with a variety of different projects to allow them more time to concentrate on different areas of the business.

How have you found your experience overall?

I have really enjoyed my current experience and my manager has me thinking and taking the first steps towards future Chartership.

Is there something as an organisation we can do to help increase the number of women in the world of engineering?

I believe we need to start at the younger School year levels to promote the profession, engineering and the possibilities in this career pathway. As someone who went to an all-girls school, there weren’t many options to choose engineering, with the main emphasis and promotion on Health Science – I was one of only 2 girls from around 100 in year 12 to choose this pathway. So we need to raise more awareness and promote the potential benefits to encourage more women into the profession.