We reached out to the current group of Graduates in the Aurecon Grad Programme from their varying degree disciplines and within different rotations, to ask them some burning questions, as requested by students. Thank you to the Aurecon Grads for their time and effort. Let’s see what they have to say!

Auecon

Hayden D'Addona
University of Queensland
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Hons.)

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon, Transmission & Distribution Team - Energy

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

Aurecon, Transmission & Distribution Team - Energy Best career move to date. Team culture, technical expertise amongst the team and the variety of exciting projects in the pipeline.

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

My position was what I expected and more. I have enjoyed the challenging tasks and the tasks that have pushed me to learn more outside of work to fully understand new concepts and skills.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

Longest day would be a 12 hour day when I had to fly to site in Central Queensland, attend a workshop and then fly back in the one day. I have not had to work Saturdays thankfully!

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

My work varies day to day depending of the project I am on, however, consists of activities such as engineering studies (AC cable sizing, insulation coordination, HV protection studies), deliverable management and markups and review of circuitry schematics.

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

Energex Protection Studies, various Energy Queensland substation design projects, BMA Asset Management and Condition Monitoring Assessment, RTA Weipa Power Augmentation Project, Square Kilometer Array Power System Study

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

PSCAD, Microstation, CDEGs, Microsoft Office tools, Bluebeam/ Adobe, Paladin Designbase, ETAP.

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

I get strong support from my work in all areas whether it be technically from technical directors/ seniors, from team leaders to pursue extracurricular opportunities or from the company in general, looking out for your health and wellbeing.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Communication and initiative - don't be scared to ask many questions and take initiative to complete the next step before you go back and ask more questions. Read ahead in your spare time and grow your skillset outside of work hours.

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

Limelight is an internal early professionals committee where you get to network and meet other young professionals in the business and participate in many fun events throughout the year.

Aurecon

Rudy
University of Technology Sydney
B Engineering (Hons - Mechatronics) B Creative Intelligence & Innovation

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon Group PTY LTD - Infrastructure: Rail and Mass Transit - Signalling

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

The first 6 months have been challenging, especially working on projects at home due to the recent lockdown in Sydney. The learning curve was steep, though thanks to the regular virtual support from my line manager, seniors and fellow graduates, I was able to understand and practise my role as if I was in the office sitting amongst them. That is what I have enjoyed about my team, the indifferent work culture and support regardless of being virtual or not. Aurecon's work environment greatly supports new graduates in all manners.

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

I personally did not have any expectations of my position. I was simply exhilarated and anxious to learn what the new position entailed. In saying that, the role I was placed in is everything I hoped for in a graduate role. From learning new skills to working with peers from varying disciplines to overall support received from Aurecon and my team, all these new experiences have been immensely surprising and exciting.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

The longest day I have had to work is 9.5 hours for a project submission. It can be challenging to say the least, though you are on the same boat as the rest of the project team. It is a collective and collaborative effort. I have not had to work Saturdays.

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Report writing, document reviews, comments responses, circuit sketches and markups, coordination conversations with project team members rushing to meet the deadline and the notorious email adventures.

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

I have worked on a TfNSW TAP project in a regional area, bidding project, construction design and coordination project and a digital project.

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

Aurecon has a database of systems in place to help individuals and teams complete day-to-day and project deliverables. From a Rail perspective, systems such as MS Teams, ProjectWise, AutoCAD Civil, MicroStation, 12d, BIM, Revit, Navisworks, Bluebeam and many more are utilised daily.

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

Aurecon places great importance on Health and Safety of its employees providing mental health and wellbeing services and professional assistance services accommodating to all employees' needs.

My line manager also checked-in/checks-in every week to make sure I am well and provide any help if needed.

I feel reassured of my decision to be a graduate at Aurecon.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

From my perspective, early in the Graduate Program, effective communication/collaborative and technical skills are needed to succeed in any position/role. Knowing my position is technical-based, I did expect this would be the case and I have not had to expect anything different. Once you build a firm base, you can then pursue other skills and goals.

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

Yes Flex (flexible working hours and locations) has been the most praised perk, for me. Accommodating many employees and their personal needs whilst allowing them to work simultaneously feels like almost like an ineffable treasure. Along with physical and mental health perks, Aurecon covers all round perks for every employees' needs.

Aurecon

Deepak
University of Auckland
Master of Engineering Studies in Construction Management
and Bachelor of Civil Engineering.

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

I'm working as a Civil Drafter in Aurecon

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

It was really amazing and I loved working over here. I was working in different projects and I'm having really nice team to support and acknowledge the work which I'm doing.

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

As I approached for the Civil Drafter role it doesn't affect my expectation for the position. But, in future I would like to get into design field.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

Obviously everyone had to work atleast one long day during the deadline. But, that doesn't matter for me as I love the job which I'm doing. And No, I hadn't worked on Saturdays

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Creating drawings and sketches as required

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

Northern Pathway Project.
Te Ha Noa Project.
Drury Station.

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

AutoCAD Civil 3D

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

Any guidance if I'm struggling somewhere

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

Laptop, flexible working place and hours

Aurecon

Ainsley
University of Queensland
Electrical and Computer Engineering (Bachelors + Masters)

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon, Industrial (Resources & Manufacturing)

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

Slow, only working on one project. Finding opportunities in other teams and projects was most enjoyable.

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

Better than expected in the sense that I have been allowed to chase and try opportunities in areas I would actually like to work in, which is why I joined the company.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

18. No Saturdays.

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Engineering design - mostly things that can be automated or managed by better software than we have. Strategy planning is awesome and involves lots of reading, outside the box thinking and collaboration.

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

Shiploader expansion. Cross overfill protection report for petrol stations and terminals. Creating a decarbonisation vision for emerging decarbonisation and green hubs such as Gladstone, Hunter Region and Illawara-Shoalhaven Region.

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

ProjectWise, OneDrive, Sharepoint, MS Teams, Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Visio, Outlook, PowerCAD

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

My line manager is quite good, not too involved, not uninvolved, just right. Our team lead is fantastic, she is very supportive. Both try to find us interesting work that focuses around our strengths. Our service group leader is fairly involved. We have flextime and WFH which is fantastic.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

In my engineering role, not really sure. In strategy roles I am pursuing, communication skills including listening, ability to challenge assumptions, be well read and engaged.

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

These should be standard and not perks at all companies: flextime, WFH (and push towards online instead of paper so you can work anywhere at anytime), mental health and wellbeing sessions. Other specific company initiatives include health checks, breastfeeding room, kids' play room, barista, up-to-date high-capacity nespresso machine with pods provided, organics + recycling + paper towel + general waste bins, breakfast bar, free fruit, weekly free smoothies and barista made coffee, great cycling/trip facilities include fresh towels, heaps of space for bikes and a clothes drying cupboard so you can ride home with dry clothes. We have open plan hot desking with lockers, there are many types of desks and quiet spaces as well as collaboration spaces, to use whenever and however.

Aurecon

Brayden Cebulski
University of South Australia
Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)(Honours)

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon, Adelaide Transport, Civil Engineer

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

First 6 months was a steep learning curve. I have enjoyed being able to tackle problems head on and be trusted by colleagues to produce a high standard of work

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

The position was as expected

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

14hours. No weekend work

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

I am currently design managing a project for Defence.
I undertake markups of designs, drainage and road design

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

PW2PA (DIT)
PDS (Defence)
Schools Projects and various building jobs

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

Drains
12D
OpenRoads
Blubeam
AutoCAD
MUSIC

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

Very supportive senior engineers that are willing to assist in work and learning

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Problem solving, be willing to work hard and learn

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

Flex time

Aurecon

Candy
The University of Western Australia
Master of Professional Engineering (Civil Engineering)

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon - Integrated Transport and Mobility Team

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

Lots of learning from a friendly and encouraging team

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

Excel and coding skills are more important that I expected

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

12 hours for a few tough deadlines
I was never asked to work on Saturday but I chose to on a few occasion to be better prepared for the upcoming week.

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Traffic Data analysis and processing
Traffic Modelling
Swept Path and Traffic Engineering
Reporting
Workshops and meetings

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

BORR, Eastlink WA, Kwinana Smart Freeway

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

Microsoft

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

Coaching and mentoring from senior engineers

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Data analytical skills - 50% as expected

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

10/10 organisation culture

Aurecon

Matthew

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon - Industrial Mechanical

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

First 6 months were very engaging, I gained exposure in process and asset management divisions. I enjoy tackling difficult problems for clients in a team.

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

A little slower than I expected, but the position was compatible with my skillset and the firm's culture is excellent.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

No Saturday's longest day so far has been around 11hrs.

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Design of bulk materials handling machines (conveyors), technical reports, procurement, stress analysis, and team management

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

The 8x expansion project at Dalrymple Bay. Asset performance benchmarking for Newmont Australia. Various smaller projects in process and piping.

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

Microsoft Suite, Inventor, Bentley IMS, CAD applications, Bluebeam, Auto pipe

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

Design engineering, chartership, technical skills, leadership

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Strong interpersonal skills, good communication, autonomous working ability, technical ability. These skills are as I expected.

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

Perks are showers with bike racks, free pool membership and free food.

Aurecon

Juan Daniel Cardona
Western Sydney University
Civil Engineering

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon, Water Team

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

Very different being on the side of Construction. I am enjoying it a lot more. I have more of a balance in life.

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

It has been challenging but that is what keeps the work exciting

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

not in my current position. But in the past I have done Saturdays and Sundays and 12 plus hours.

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Drawing reviews in all disciplines of construction, not only civil/geotech but Electrical and Mechanical. Liaising with contractors, stakeholders and team meetings to see where each of our packages are up to.

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

I've been on various projects;

North West Rail Link
North Rapid Transit
WestConnex New M5 (now named M8)
Quay Quarter Tower at Circular Quay
Sydney Airport Upgrades Main runway
ProMac (Sydney Water)

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

currently using Ineight and a various internal programs and systems

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

We do get a lot of work, mainly check ins due to the remote working conditions in the last few months. But we do get all the support you in need, in such as having an extra screen for you home office.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Communication is the number 1 skill. Without it I can't do my job.

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

the main one is the ability to work from home and the flexible working hours.

Aurecon

Jesse Neville
University of Auckland
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil and Environmental)

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon, Structural for Energy and Industrial sector

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

My first six months were quite the learning experience, getting used to how the company operated, industry standards that weren't obvious from university and gaining a better understanding of the processes behind forming designs and the reasoning for certain decisions.

I really enjoyed the company culture, friendliness of work colleagues and opportunity that I have to better my understanding in my field to be a better engineer.

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

My position was as I expected it, although I still had a large amount of knowledge to grow into from university.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

The longest day I worked was around 11 hours due to a tight deadline at the time. I haven't had to work weekends at all.

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

I usually work to assist the mechanical team in designing structural supports for their chemical pipework. This involves checking the capacity of the members supporting the pipes, the connections and the foundation for the supports.

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

Many pipe support projects over NZ and AUS
Tie downs for Temporary accommodation,
Preparing PS1 and PS4s,
Site visits,
Preparing technical specifications,
Bund wall designs.

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

MathCAD, Excel, Staad

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

My manager supports me whenever I have a problem, giving sound advice or recommending a better person to talk with who can help me further. However, sometimes whenever I have a very technical question, I find it difficult to arrive at a complete explanation.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Preparation, time management, communication, understanding of work context and theory.

They are about what I thought I would need.

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

Flexible work hours, ability to work from home when needed, competitive pay, support for professional growth.

Aurecon

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

I have enjoyed learning new things and meeting people from different backgrounds.

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

Yes, my position was I expected it to be.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

So far I have not had to work Saturdays. I always have a task list at the start of the day which helps me complete my tasks at the end of the day.

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

I do project estimates, scheduling, liaising with clients, meetings and report writing.

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

QAL FEED Projects

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

Bluebeam, AutoCAd, ProjectWise.

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

I get moral support from my company and my line manager.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Teamwork, resilience, CAD, piping skills

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

Great work-life balance.

Aurecon

Samir
UNSW
Mechatronics Engineering / Mathematics

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon - Asset Management & Performance

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

Great! A chance to learn a fair bit of business consulting mixed with technical analytics through Excel, it was great being able to use my strengths to bring value to my clients, especially given that my clients were of similar backgrounds to me in the Systems and IT space

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

Main surprise was really just seeing how well the worlds of engineering and consulting really combine, and how it really helps with proposing business solutions for our clients which tackle more engineering focused asset problems

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

Probably 9 to 9 for some manual analysis of some very unclean data (but it was by choice and the company was flexible. I have not had to work any Saturdays

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Excel Data Analysis, lots of VLOOKUPs between multiple spreadsheets.

Along with this, I would consult a range of SMEs on the Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and ITS side for an understanding of transport assets and use their knowledge to assist with data cleansing for their current asset management systems.

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

Assisted with Asset Class Plans for Sydney Water

Designed a series of routes as part of a Signs Upgrade program by TfNSW

Was the primary consultant for Aurecon in the Asset Maintenance and Operations Planning for Transurban

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

Excel, Maximo, RedEye. For my roads design work in my previous rotation, I used AutoCAD, Bluebeam Revu, a bit of 12D, and also a bit of Python for a side project on automation

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

Expertise on how projects used to be handled in the past. A lot of review from my managers on the work I do, with areas of improvement. I get to sit into a lot of meetings with stakeholders, and have even lead some with the support of my managers

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Be inquisitive. Ask as many questions as you can to cover all bases and understand the full scope of the problem that your clients have. After you have uncovered the problem, you can either consult your superiors with your findings so that you can work together to come up with the best solutions for your clients. Or you may have the chance to come up with something on your own that is favourably looked at by your clients and superiors

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

Flexible working hours, some discount purchases at supported stores like JB-Hifi, Free online learning platform like Linkedin Learning. A nice amount of annual leave, as well as sick leave and even long-service leave.

Aurecon

Andrew
RMIT University
Bachelor of Construction Management

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

Aurecon, Advisory, Program Management, Graduate, working in the Parks Victoria program

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

Somewhat overwhelming but everyone was very nice and supportive.

Was your position with the Aurecon Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

It was a lot more hands on than I was expecting, since I expected to be a project assistant for my first 2 years. However they started giving me one project to run as a Project Manager within the first 3 months. So quite surprising

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

13 hours and yes I have worked Saturdays (however its not mandated i did so to catch up on work)

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Program Administration, where I collate the information from various other PMs about their projects into single unified reports

Have you worked on any projects at Aurecon?

Small scale construction and refurbishment projects

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

Microsoft Project, Word, Excel

What sort of support are you provided at Aurecon?

Some help when asked for, but with everyone being busy it can sometimes be a sink or swim experience

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Time Management and organisational skills, communication and computer skills. As expected

What are the best perks or benefits at Aurecon?

Friendly atmosphere, no office drama or politics. Allows for a lot of lateral movement and different areas within the company you can explore. There are lots of opportunities for Site visits to various places around Victoria, that can be e very interesting and/or beautiful locations.