With 2nd year well and truly over, I have begun my first industry placement. I am currently in my 6th week of work and absolutely loving it! The only major hurdle I have come across so far is the 7am starts which as a uni student I was not aware that they existed, although they are easier now I am in the swing of things.
As I noted in my previous post, I am at G&S Engineering which is a local engineering company. So far I have been in town at the office doing work involved in project planning. With a lot of projects coming up next year however, I will get a lot of opportunities to experience life on site as I work on the upcoming dragline shutdowns.
As far as my learning experience is concerned, I have learnt more about project planning, project management, budgeting and hours tracking in my 6 weeks working then during the 2 years at uni! Although some things are tough to grasp at first, I'm finding there are plenty opportunities to practice and everyone is more then happy to help out in any way they can.
Another thing I am really enjoying about my placement is having afternoons and weekends off. I have had a part time job since I was in grade 10 so I haven't had entire weekends off in a long time. It is also quite nice to have afternoons without having to worry about assignments, lab reports, portfolio's or project work.
Just being around the office I have had discussions with a lot of the other engineers and have found that a lot of them did their degree at CQU. It's good to be able to talk to them about and learn from their placements and experiences.
Well, that's the latest.
Until next time.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Co-op Placement
This semester, along with the regular engineering and discipline specific subjects, co-op students study a professional practice course which is basically a subject that prepares everyone for their co-op placements. As a part of this course, we have learnt the ins and outs of applying for engineering positions, how to structure a professional quality resume and cover letter and how to address selection criteria.
This semester in particular has been the highlight of my degree so far purely because of the chance to apply for real engineering jobs and begin to learn the different types of engineering fields within my discipline. It was also an eye opener in terms of realizing how much of a competitive world it is out there with regards to employment. Each employer is looking for the best possible candidate for their position and each student is hoping for their first job preference.
Through this experience I have quickly realized the importance of a quality resume and cover letter as well as the preference employers have of good communication, time management and organisational skills over technical knowledge. I found having a positive and enthusiastic attitude appealed to employers more than grades (although they obviously still count) as realistically we don't know everything.
In total, I applied for 3 companies, all of which are involved in the mining/resources industry. I was lucky enough to be offered a position at my first preference which I have just accepted. The position is at a local engineering company called G&S Engineering Services. They are a large subcontracting business based in Mackay which operates in the construction, mining and electrical industries. I am extremely excited to begin placement and have the opportunity to learn in places other than a classroom. I am looking forward to being involved in real life projects and working with qualified engineers and tradespeople in a practical setting.
Looking back on this semester as exams approach, I have found this part of the course the most exciting to date and in hindsight am glad I chose the co-op program over any other generic engineering degree.
This semester in particular has been the highlight of my degree so far purely because of the chance to apply for real engineering jobs and begin to learn the different types of engineering fields within my discipline. It was also an eye opener in terms of realizing how much of a competitive world it is out there with regards to employment. Each employer is looking for the best possible candidate for their position and each student is hoping for their first job preference.
Through this experience I have quickly realized the importance of a quality resume and cover letter as well as the preference employers have of good communication, time management and organisational skills over technical knowledge. I found having a positive and enthusiastic attitude appealed to employers more than grades (although they obviously still count) as realistically we don't know everything.
In total, I applied for 3 companies, all of which are involved in the mining/resources industry. I was lucky enough to be offered a position at my first preference which I have just accepted. The position is at a local engineering company called G&S Engineering Services. They are a large subcontracting business based in Mackay which operates in the construction, mining and electrical industries. I am extremely excited to begin placement and have the opportunity to learn in places other than a classroom. I am looking forward to being involved in real life projects and working with qualified engineers and tradespeople in a practical setting.
Looking back on this semester as exams approach, I have found this part of the course the most exciting to date and in hindsight am glad I chose the co-op program over any other generic engineering degree.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
First Blog
Hey, my name is Daniel Gardner and I am currently in my second year of mechanical engineering at CQU in Mackay. With this being my first post I thought I'd share a little bit about myself and my experiences during my first year at uni.
I have grown up in Mackay and graduated from school in 2009. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to see a number of friends go to university (in particular CQU) and study engineering before me. Through talking to them about their experiences I was able to make my decision to also study engineering and eventually specialise in the mechanical discipline. I later enrolled in a Bachelor of Engineering/Co-op Diploma of Professional Practice which involves two 6 month blocks of work placement (Vac Work) at a Professional Engineering company.
During my first year at CQU I was privileged to become a Queensland Resources Council Scholarship holder. As a part of this scholarship I have become a QRC Student Ambassador which allows me to attend various engineering functions and events during the year and create a network in the Resources Sector while learning about the endless opportunities it offers.
To any high school students thinking about a career in engineering, I would highly recommend it. My first year was full of great opportunities and although it was quite different to school life, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at CQU. Through completing the engineering projects I was able to meet a number of industry representatives and discuss the various disciplines as well as some of the massive projects they had been involved with. (I was quite amazed to meet a man who had designed the bridge I drive over to get to uni every morning).
If there was one tip that I could offer any first year student or highschool student looking at studying engineering, it would be to get involved and have fun doing it. The opportunities in the engineering profession are endless not to mention extremely rewarding.
Well, that’s all from me for now.
Until next time,
Daniel
I have grown up in Mackay and graduated from school in 2009. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to see a number of friends go to university (in particular CQU) and study engineering before me. Through talking to them about their experiences I was able to make my decision to also study engineering and eventually specialise in the mechanical discipline. I later enrolled in a Bachelor of Engineering/Co-op Diploma of Professional Practice which involves two 6 month blocks of work placement (Vac Work) at a Professional Engineering company.
During my first year at CQU I was privileged to become a Queensland Resources Council Scholarship holder. As a part of this scholarship I have become a QRC Student Ambassador which allows me to attend various engineering functions and events during the year and create a network in the Resources Sector while learning about the endless opportunities it offers.
To any high school students thinking about a career in engineering, I would highly recommend it. My first year was full of great opportunities and although it was quite different to school life, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at CQU. Through completing the engineering projects I was able to meet a number of industry representatives and discuss the various disciplines as well as some of the massive projects they had been involved with. (I was quite amazed to meet a man who had designed the bridge I drive over to get to uni every morning).
If there was one tip that I could offer any first year student or highschool student looking at studying engineering, it would be to get involved and have fun doing it. The opportunities in the engineering profession are endless not to mention extremely rewarding.
Well, that’s all from me for now.
Until next time,
Daniel
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