What's your job about?

As a structural engineer, my job is to design buildings to ensure that they’re safe and stable. One of the biggest tasks in doing this is determining what loads a building will experience in its lifetime, from earthquakes, wind, gravity, snow, etc. Collaboration is also a big part of my job; there’s never just one revision of a building plan. The design process involves going back and forth between architects and other consultants to ensure that every aspect of the building is captured in the final design.

What's your background?

I’m from Melbourne and have lived here my whole life. I studied a Bachelor of Science majoring in Civil Systems at the University of Melbourne, followed by a Master of Civil Engineering. While studying, I spent 4 years tutoring VCE maths, physics, chemistry, and biology, with many of my students ending up in the same course as me after completing high school! Towards the end of my degree, I started tutoring fluid mechanics at university, and in my second year, I kicked off my career in engineering, working as an undergraduate structural engineer. Before graduating, I spent 3 years in two different undergraduate roles where I got a taste for structural and civil engineering. Although I originally wanted to be a civil engineer, I veered off course after experiencing what structural engineering consisted of firsthand. My interest in structural engineering came from a love of problem solving. Since I started working at Northrop, I’ve had the opportunity to work through complicated issues on-site and in the office. This was a big learning curve but an exciting one, as I always felt supported by my team when tackling difficult tasks.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

While structural engineering is only accessible to someone who has a degree in engineering, all the consultants involved in the design process have very different backgrounds! In my position, I have the opportunity to work with architects, environmental engineers, façade engineers, fire engineers, and more. There isn’t one direct route to get involved in infrastructure.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

The coolest part of my job is the variety in my week. Some days, I will come to work and visit major construction sites to verify that everything has been installed as designed. Other days, I will be modeling multi-story buildings using finite element software or even doing all of my computations using pen and paper! The opportunity to apply engineering fundamentals to a broad range of design modes is what keeps my day-to-day interesting and stops me from getting bored.

What are the limitations of your job?

The biggest limitation in working in infrastructure is the ebbing and flowing of work. While some weeks I’ll be pretty relaxed, there are other weeks when there is a deadline to meet, and you have to work as hard and as late as needed to get the drawing set out on time. This is standard in such a high-pressure industry; however, I do have the luxury of time in lieu after having a few late nights in the office.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

• Value your peers! Expanding your network is vital when you’re at uni, and the connections you make in your tutorials are connections that can endure for the rest of your career.
• There’s no rush in deciding on your career path. In first year, I was certain I wanted to go into chemistry, only to be rattled when that plan changed 2, 3, or 10 times. You have time to figure out what you enjoy doing, so take it.
• The stress isn’t forever. It’s hard to imagine a world where your weekend isn’t filled with worrying about the next exam or assignment, but uni isn’t forever.