Embracing challenges to accelerate career progression

However in 2009, when GHD was seeking project managers for the Enhanced Land Force initiative – a project for the Department of Defence – Rebecca welcomed it as an opportunity to try something different.

“When I first started working, I wanted to be very technical in Structural Engineering. I was doing a lot of structure designs and multidiscipline design management, managing various engineering services for different buildings projects. But when this opportunity came up, I saw it as a great way to gain valuable hands-on experience.”

Rebecca subsequently spent two years at Lavarack Barracks as project manager and contract administrator, working on construction, stakeholder management, inspections and handover of the site. 

With guidance from her GHD mentor, Rebecca was able to bring her technical knowledge into her project management roles.

“Having a technical background is a valuable part of being an effective project manager as it provides a deeper understanding of why things are happening in a particular way. It helps me to bring our clients on the journey to enable them to make more informed decisions that are best for the project.”

After taking 15 months off for maternity leave, Rebecca returned in a part-time capacity and continues to work part-time today in mostly project management and design manager roles.

“I chose that path instead of going back to structural engineering because I found project management a bit more flexible in a part-time capacity. The deliverables can often be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks.”

Reflecting on her past experiences, Rebecca says the most challenging projects were some of her biggest career highlights.

“You don’t think they’re highlights at the time, but when you look back, you realise the challenging projects were the ones you learned the most from. They lay the foundation to accelerate your career progression.

Despite the challenges, Rebecca has always felt supported by the GHD team.

Rebecca’s best career advice is to have open conversations, not just with your manager but also with people in and outside of your network.

“Communication is key. Ask questions, talk to people, say yes to as many opportunities as you can when they arise, even if you’re unsure, because they can take you to some amazing places.”

During her time with GHD, Rebecca has worked on projects for the US Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), projects in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste for the Australian Department of Defence’s International Policy Division, and Australian Defence projects in Townsville, where she’s currently based.

“Having the opportunity to work on defence projects across Australia and overseas has been really valuable to increase my understanding of location-based constraints, but also to see different parts of the country. It’s exciting and diverse work.”