You don't always have to follow a linear career path

Krystal Tang was first introduced to GHD in 2015 as part of her work experience for a double degree in civil/structural and environmental engineering. It was this experience that set her on a career journey she had never imagined.

“I was lucky that I got to see the breadth and depth of what GHD does early on. Getting hands-on, real-world experience in those three different engineering fields helped me decide which area I wanted to specialise in, which ended up being civil engineering.”

Krystal was offered a graduate role the following year and joined our Aviation team in Adelaide where she’s had the opportunity to work on and design and manage several defence projects across Australia and internationally.

“In my fifth year at GHD, I got the opportunity to design and manage a $100 million project in Fiji which involved over 10 unique facilities including a medical centre, an undercover multicourt and gym, and a humanitarian aid and disaster recovery (HADR) warehouse. 

“Managing and collaborating with teams across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji gave me unparalleled insight into optimised design workflows, as well as the chance to build strong relationships and gain unique cultural knowledge.”

Krystal says the best thing about working on projects in the Defence sector is that you get to work with multidisciplinary teams from across Australia.
“The way Defence projects are set up means we often get to bring together our technical capabilities in architecture, building services, civil engineering, and management. 

“Compared to some other industries, Defence has a lot of scope to cross-pollinate between technical disciplines which makes our projects really collaborative. It also allows you to work on and understand every aspect of a project rather than just focusing on a small section.”

It isn’t just the work that excites Krystal to get out of bed every morning; it’s the people and culture at GHD.

“If you ask for advice, people will happily dedicate time to your learning because they understand the importance of knowledge sharing. There’s a culture of constant improvement and working together to solve problems – I’ve been lucky enough to see it while working across multiple offices around Australia and internationally in New Zealand, Fiji and the United States.

“I think what ties us all together is the possibility to build infrastructure that really does benefit the community. It’s been truly amazing to rally a team together from all over the globe and work unanimously towards a common goal.”

Reflecting on her journey, Krystal remains excited by the breadth of opportunities she has access to and continues to be able to experience at GHD.

“When I first started as a graduate, I spoke to a lot of different people about their career journeys and no two were the same. Very early on, I adopted the mindset that it didn’t matter if I followed a linear career pathway or not – I was going to explore and be curious.

“The network that you start to build within GHD, especially on Defence projects, means you get to meet a lot of experienced people who are always willing to share advice or open the doors to new opportunities.