What's your job about?
Veolia is an environmental management company that sustainably resources the waste, water and energy sector. I work as a project engineer, helping to lead and deliver improvement projects across a number of water filtration sites across NSW. There are always new projects or upgrades that need to be done on operating sites which are instigated by the onsite operations team and these can range in complexity from simply installing a new tank to reducing sludge production. I work closely with operations to lead a project from start to finish by investigating the problem, developing a solution and making that solution a reality.
What's your background?
I was born and raised in western Sydney, NSW in a middle-eastern family surrounded by lots of family, prayer and food. I enjoyed sports when I was at school but mainly loved dancing which I did for 13 years. I knew I wanted to study something to do with chemistry, science or medicine at university but was unsure on exactly what that would be and eventually decided on chemical and biomedical engineering because I thought it would give me an opportunity to study the “best of both worlds”. While I studied full time, I also worked in retail for 8 years and if you know anyone that works in retail you’ll know that they leave those places with some crazy customer stories. My love of travelling and nature pushed me to find a career that protects and preserves the environment which is how I stumbled upon a graduate opportunity with Veolia. I wish it was more exciting than that but I really just applied and hoped I got the job. This is my 4 year with Veolia, since I started on the graduate program and moved on to the role I am in now and so far choosing Veolia has been the best career-focused decision I have made.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
I believe so. My time at university taught me how to approach a problem, think critically and find technical solutions to solve a problem. I believe people can attain this skill set without specifically having studied my degree.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The versatility of having days where I am working at a water treatment site that supplies the water we drink and knowing I am indirectly impacting the way we live versus sitting in an office and tapping into my problem-solving skills to find a solution. It feels great when a project is a success because you know it impacts groups around you but conversely, even when the job is not a success at first, the process I go through and the different people I come across along the way help me hone in my skills for the future.
What are the limitations of your job?
The water treatment sites that my team currently work on are all just south of sydney, in the Illawarra region. This means I have to travel a couple of times a week, depending on the project, to go to these sites which are over an hour’s drive, sometimes an hour and a half each way. This can become tiresome, particularly if I had to be there everyday or if I lived further away. Fortunately, the team I work with are flexible and we manage to share the load between us.
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