Case study

Faryaneh is currently a project manager for Bovis Lend Lease.

Project engineer - Bovis Lend Lease

Job pathway

Civil/project management

Qualifications

BE (Civil)

How did you end up working in your current job?

I got offered a job here after working for a civil contractor for a few years after uni.

What skills do you use in your job?

Communication, programming, analytical skills, problem solving skills.

What do you think it was that got you the job over other applicants?

Ambition, drive, enthusiasm

What advice would you give to students who have commenced an engineering degree and want to get a great job in engineering when they graduate?

• If you know what you want you can go anywhere you want.
• When you try hard and ask a lot of questions, people help and respect you.
• Always get in and get your hands dirty - no task is too small or too big.
• Don't get too big for your own boots.
• Watch how project managers and site managers do things and ask yourself, "Is that how you would do it?" Learn from their mistakes and always try and do things more efficiently!

What were your biggest mistakes during your life when applying for jobs? How would you have done it better?

I was fairly lucky: I started out with a civil contractor, I learnt a lot, I got thrown in the deep end a few times and just got a lot of experience. It was good to work for a small company in the developmental stages of my career and then go to a larger company.

What type of activities were you involved in at university and high school, and did they give you any skills that you use in your job now?

Public speaking and extra curricular activities: Young Engineers, school captain, sport, etc. All these things help you deal with people from various walks of life; they help you communicate and manage better.

What was the most surprising thing about working full time in engineering that you did not expect?

How exhausting and monotonous it can be to work full time.

If you could go back to the start of your degree and change anything you did since then, what would it be?

I would put more effort in the first two years of uni.

Where do you see yourself in five year's time?

Respected project manger or construction manager for this or another company.