Alejandra

Bachelors in Economics and Bachelors in Business Management
University of Queensland

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?

GHD - Transactions & Infrastructure Strategy

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

The first 6 months went so fast. It was a very steep learning curve, especially being the first corporate job I have had out of uni. I have really enjoyed the variety of work at GHD - I work on all different types of infrastructure projects and it is very hands-on, even as a grad, so you always feel like you are achieving milestones.

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

The position was not what I expected it to be - but I think this was purely because I didn't know what corporate work was like. However, I have actually enjoyed my position more than I thought I would.

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 I have had to work is probably 15 hours. In consulting, there is sometimes going to be hard deadlines for clients, and you just have to get the work done which can lead to some longer hours. However, 90% of the time my work day is 7:30am - 5pm. I have had to work once on a Saturday for 2 hours.

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

Transactions involve helping a client acquire or divest an asset. This requires risk reporting, due diligence reports and answering questions and answers. I also do a lot in the ESG space (Environmental, Social, Governance). I really like this area because it is helping clients become more sustainable and helping achieve decarbonisation goals.

Have you worked on any projects at GHD?

Transaction due diligences
Economic regulation projects
Policy review projects
ESG projects

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

Microsoft word, ppt, excel
Microsoft teams
Coding languages - R and Python

What sort of support are you provided at GHD?

Starting corporate during COVID has been interesting. I have been at GHD for a year and I have still never met my boss in person. However, I have a really good relationship with him, he calls me twice a week to chat and I feel very supported by him. My peers around me that are advisors and senior advisors have been so amazing and always take the time to teach me things if need be. I feel very supported with my Advisory team.

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

Attention to detail, research skills, ability to perform under tight deadlines.

What are the best perks or benefits at GHD?

Very flexible working - they don't mind if you log on at 6am or at 10am as long as your work gets done in the end. We often go for drinks or events which are paid for by GHD. We have Young Professional x-mas parties (for professionals with < 10 years experience).

Dan

Chemical Engineering and Economics
University of Queensland

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 Graduate Process and Project Engineer in GHD's Plant and Process Team

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

My first 6 months was great, starting with the Careers Kick Off week with the rest of the GHD graduate cohort, and then getting straight into really interesting engineering work on a wide range of projects.

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

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of responsibility I have been given as a grad. I expected to be doing a lot of basic excel work, but pretty quickly I was given real engineering design tasks, input into client meetings and assisting with delivering projects. As a grad you are taken seriously and your contribution is valued.

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?

I may have done one or two late nights and weekends to get deliverables in on time... but in general the work-life balance is good and overtime isn't needed.

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

Depending on the project I might be doing anything from having meetings with clients, keeping track of project cost and schedule, process design and modelling, or working on deliverables like reports, line and valve lists etc.

Have you worked on any projects at GHD?

I've had a lot of great opportunities to work on cutting edge projects in the hydrogen, ammonia, and carbon capture and storage spaces, as well as more conventional process plant projects.

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

GHD uses a SharePoint system for collaboratively working on files and quality assurance.

What sort of support are you provided at GHD?

Working in the office with the team is great as a grad, as often when I am unsure what I'm doing I have several experienced engineers around to help. All work is also checked by senior engineers who are often happy to give detailed feedback on how to improve in future.

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

Time management is certainly important when you have several projects going at once. Good communication and record keeping is essential as senior engineers checking your work need to understand how you have come to a conclusion. I think a willingness to put your hand up for things (even things you haven't done before or may not know how to do) helps a lot, because those experiences grow your knowledge and confidence so much more than those within your comfort zone.

What are the best perks or benefits at GHD?

The free coffee machines in the office are a pretty important part of my workday.

Bec

Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Bachelor of Architecture
Monash University

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?

GHD, working in the Building Engineering group as a Structural Engineer

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

Bumpy start with the return of the lockdown, but have really liked consulting and getting to meet a lot of different people. The work is interesting and definitely not what I expected, but everything is new for me which makes it all enjoyable!

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

Definitely not what I expected! A lot of the work is interpreting different standards and making engineering judgement calls which is sometimes a bit scary!

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 I've worked would be around a 12 hour day but that was because of my own mistake and thus very justified! I luckily have not been made to work any Saturdays

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

Typically I support senior engineers with designs to Australian standards and design guides, checking the capacities of structural elements of buildings from footings to slabs to columns/walls to roof structures.

Have you worked on any projects at GHD?

Worked on a few different projects, some for Defence, some for VSBA, and some for joint ventures on major infrastructure projects.

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

We use Bluebeam a lot! And a lot of structural engineering design software, but it really varies depending on what you're working on.

What sort of support are you provided at GHD?

I get a lot of support from my Team Leader and Business Group Leader, as well as whomever I'm doing work for. The company is great and provided a lot of support especially during lockdown.

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

Honestly people skills are super important in consulting! And of course, being able to interpret technical guidelines and make engineering judgement calls based on your own previous experiences, or asking for advice from someone more experienced. Also super important is the ability to communicate when you need help or when things aren't going to plan. Most of this was what I expected, but the people skills was definitely more important than I expected!

What are the best perks or benefits at GHD?

GHD is great in supporting their staff with flexible working hours, and very understanding of home circumstances. We get free tea, coffee and milk in the office, and before the pandemic we had biccies every day for morning tea! Highlight of my working days.