Just finished my first full time project experience !

In April 2023, few days into my internship at Multiworks, I joined my first-ever site visit. The team was tendering for a project, and I tagged along, wide eyed and full of questions. I remember spotting a Korean War memorial and being completely absorbed by everything around me. It was all new, unfamiliar and exciting.

End of 2024, few days after finishing my final exams, I started my first full-time role as a Graduate Site Engineer. With little solo driving experience, I took a wrong turn and arrived 15 minutes late on day one. It took me few more days to realise I had returned to the same site from my first visit: Quarry Park, Footscray. This time, contributing to delivering the project.

The transition to full time work in construction was more intense than I had anticipated. The site environment was very raw and unfiltered. It took me a while to adjust to the fast pace, the site banter, and the Aussie slang (I once told my sister I went for my “smoko,” and she thought I had taken up smoking).

I quickly learned that delivering a project is far from just following plans or managing materials. On site, being able to navigate personalities, resolve conflict and build trust with people had a bigger impact than technical skills. At times, I also saw how site hierarchies could unfold in ways that weren’t always fair or constructive.

In my early months, I spent most of my time in a ute, noting down truck entries to track soil movement onsite. As I grew into the role, I took on broader responsibilities, including:

– Developing five ITPs approved by the client.
– Maintaining the material tracker for topsoil and subsoil movements.
– Surveying the through site using a GPS rover.
– Supporting procurement by sourcing suppliers and raising POs.
– Coordinating/tracking assets, logistics, and plant hours.
– Conducting compliance checks and site inspections.
– Documenting daily site progress on Procore.
– Preparing monthly reports, and more..

At times, I was the only engineer on site, learning to troubleshoot in real time and supporting the crew however I could. As a young woman of colour stepping into this space, I faced my share of challenges – some subtle, some not so much. These experiences helped me find my voice, grow in confidence, and reaffirm that mutual respect and compassion should be standard in any workplace, not dependent on titles or hierarchy.

From driving a ute and learning to survey, to watching stab sand being poured, this project gave me countless memorable firsts. There’s still much to learn, but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made. From an intern at her first-ever site visit to a graduate engineer at the very site, it has been a full circle moment I’ll always carry with me.

I’m grateful to everyone who has guided, encouraged, and backed me along the way.