So, I went to Monash University studying Civil Engineering and Actuarial Science and as part of the Civil Engineering degree where I needed work experience hours as part of my CPD.
In search for CPD, I joined the AITPM mentoring program where I met Senior Transport engineer Katie Harker who introduced me to Ratio Consultants. I hadn’t heard of Ratio at this stage and was interested in what traffic engineering looked like in the workplace. I was then invited by Katie and the Ratio team to have a week-long trial to gain insight into the office workplace.
Everyone was very welcoming and encouraging and I was offered a student casual role to continue working at Ratio during my studies. This was vital for my completion of my CPD requirement of my degree. I worked about 1-2 days a week while I finished off my degree and, after a year working as a student transport engineer at Ratio, I graduated from Monash and was offered full-time employment with Ratio.
During my transition into work at Ratio there have been times where I have felt quite comfortable with the work I have been assigned and then there have been other times where I have been out of my comfort zone. These times taught me to be comfortable seeking out help when I am unsure how to proceed. It was daunting at first but then I realised that people are happy to help.
What surprised me most was how I came to be employed at Ratio. My mentor program with AITPM introduced me to Katie, who introduced me to ratio. Everything just fell into place.
I have loved utilising various software such as SIDRA, AutoCAD and QGIS. I am interested in exploring AutoCAD further and building up that skillset. I am also looking forward to working on a project from start to finish.
I am excited to form consistent habits with full-time work which was not possible while I was studying.
My advice for the next round of students would be to get onto their CPD early but at the same time not to stress over it too much. I would recommend seeking out mentoring programs as these are great ways to bridge the gap between your student experience and full-time employment – it allows you to ask questions and to really understand whether you want to continue down that career pathway.
