In school, I assumed my career path would be in engineering because I liked maths. In Year 11, I attended an “Aspiring Women in Science” conference, which inspired me to study chemical engineering at uni, aiming for the food and beverage manufacturing industry. During my 3rd year, I realised job opportunities in that field were…
I made the choice to go into engineering as I enjoyed both maths and physics and this seemed to be the most natural choice. Once I started engineering I began to slowly understand that underpinning the technical work was a humanitarian cause. Engineering to me is all about finding the most effective solution to a…
I enjoy being known as a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. I was raised as a kid to be a future medical student, and I loved math and science. It was only after my high school chemistry teacher recommended I attend a UQ Women in Engineering event, did I first learn what engineering actually was. After…
I enrolled in Industrial Engineering in Madrid after school mainly because it was a broad field, and, although I knew I had an interest in engineering, I wasn’t sure what career I wanted. Through various courses, I found Electrical Engineering interesting and decided to study it further. I spent a year abroad in the US,…
When I left school, I was set on being an electrical engineer, but through my undergraduate work experience, I realised that traffic engineering was far more interesting and tangible, so sought out work opportunities as a graduate traffic engineer after a three-year post-graduate stint overseas. I started out in a consultancy working on diverse projects…
When I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor. But growing up in a Sri Lankan family, becoming an engineer was one of the top professions my mum encouraged me to consider. Looking back, I’m so glad I chose this path because it suits me perfectly, and the work-life balance at Department of Transport…
I vividly remember being in grade 4 and the teacher wheeling out the classroom TV and putting on An Inconvenient Truth starring Al Gore. That 118-minute documentary ignited a spark in me for helping the environment. Growing up I considered many careers – chef, paramedic, graphic designer – but none felt quite right. Clearly, I…
I was 5 when I told my parents I wanted to be a lawyer but they were most surprised I continued with this career path. After graduating from Griffith University on the Gold Coast (my home town) I spent the next 7 years in private practice. I had my first son 10 years ago, after…
In high school, I wanted to study philosophy and economics but I was always very interested in geography and nature, loved the environment from a young age going camping with my family and exploring. However I never thought I would study it, so I enrolled in an Arts Degree to study philosophy and politics. I…
In Grade 11, we had a Scenes of Crime Officer attend our school for a presentation. I thought it was pretty cool, however, I found the Police uniform intimidating and was unsure of myself and how I would/could get from where and who I was to where and who I wanted to be. Between school,…
I wanted to be a teacher until grade 11, where I was exposed to some accounting and business subjects that I really enjoyed. I selected a commerce degree as I needed a higher year 12 result to study it. I didn’t really know what being an accountant would be like. I finished my university degree…
I had no clue what I wanted to do when I finished school. I dropped out of my first degree (business) after 1 semester and started full time work as an admin assistant while I figured out what I wanted to do. The State Government Computing Centre (now CITEC) was recruiting for computer operators and…
I really didn’t know what I wanted to do when I left school, though I felt pulled to go to university. I decided to hedge my bets, and study a double degree in Business (Advertising) and Creative Industries (Media & Communication). There were elements of my degrees that I really enjoyed (consumer behaviour, strategic communication,…
After graduating high school with some uncertainty clouding my career path, I embarked on a journey to explore various interests and passions. I stumbled upon the intricacies of law, intrigued by its ability to shape and safeguard society with the possibility of being able to help people. With a newfound determination, I pursued a law…
An in-house lawyer in responsible for: – providing high quality and practical legal advice and support to the business, in a timely manner; – reviewing and preparing various legal documents; – developing and operating a legal framework within which the business must comply to meet its legal obligations under statute, contract or otherwise; – co-ordinating…
My journey started with a simple mantra from my parents: ‘You’re either earning or learning.’ Uncertain about my future, I bypassed immediate university entry, opting for real-world experience. After graduation, I landed a full-time receptionist role at a small construction firm, but faced a setback when I lost the job at 19 due to taking…
During the final years of school I wanted to be a financial lawyer. But an honest conversation with my biology teacher about my strengths in math and science opened my eyes to engineering. I looked up engineering courses during the change in preference window and swapped to a double degree of Environmental Engineering and Science…
I am a Principal Data Scientist in a Queensland Government department, and I love using data to tell stories that help people make better decisions. Born and raised in Cairns, Queensland, I was an avid dancer and a natural competitor. I was always driven to be better than I was the day before, and that…
I studied Electrical Engineering overseas and then I got married. Soon after graduation I came to Australia. My husband and I started our family and I decided to be a stay at home mum until kids were in school. Now I am a mother to 2 boys and now that they are in school I…
I grew up in NSW riding horses and playing hockey. I moved to QLD when I was in grade 6 and started going to work with my dad during the school holidays. I studied woodwork & engineering at school as electives. In grade 12 I was offered a position at Gold Coast School of Construction…