I had a set journey right from the beginning where I knew I had to choose between two career paths – medicine or engineering. I chose electrical engineering with a focus on power generation, which led to an exciting opportunity with a major power generation, transmission, and distribution company in Pakistan. My career began as…
In high school, I was always into maths and science, which led me to pursue engineering. I’ve always had a passion for the environment, and I knew I wanted a career that would make a real difference, so I decided to specialise in photovoltaic engineering, in other words solar panel engineering! During university I landed…
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 always loved to draw and use technology in an artistic expression. I also spent a LOT of my time as a child on my dad’s building sites, where he built speculative homes. Looking back, it makes perfect sense to me that architecture would be a natural outlet and career path. That didn’t stop me…
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…
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…
When I was in primary school, I had my heart set on becoming a fighter pilot with the Australian Air Force. This dream influenced the subjects I chose at high school and upon completion of year 12 I was still considering this path. When the time came to decide, I was hesitant to leave home…
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…
My dad has been a Police Officer since I was 8 years old and I was always inspired by his service to the community. Throughout high school, I knew I wanted to do something that was exciting and challenging, so being a Police Officer just seemed right for me. When I left school, I didn’t…
I went to high school in Melbourne, then completed my last two years of high school in Gladstone. Whilst in Gladstone, I had to complete two subjects via online distance education, as well as three subjects at the high school I attended. When I finished high school, I was set on studying Economics at university,…
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…
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…
I am a Senior Mechanical Engineer with Aurecon for almost 3 years. I did not think this was where I would end up when I left school and decided to study Mechatronics Engineering. The passion for building and creating something to help others has been with me since I was young and has taken me…