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Internships and Co-ops

Home Careers Work@GHDInternships and Co-op's

We are passionate about developing talented, motivated graduates who are eager to launch their professional careers.

Internships and co-op placements with GHD will provide the opportunity to gain valuable work experience. You will have the ability to work on a diverse range of projects, available in varied locations, and working in collaborative multi-disciplinary teams.

Meaningful work experience is provide alongside receiving mentorship and coaching by senior leaders who are invested in your growth and development.

We continuously seek ambitious, enthusiastic students across the following disciplines:

Engineering - civil, chemical, electrical, environmental, geotechnical, systems, mechanical, mining, and structural
Environmental and social sciences
Earth sciences, including geologists and hydrogeologists
Planning
Project management
Metallurgy
Commerce, business, economics, and management
Analysts, with math and computer/information science-based degrees

GHD supports the opportunities that work experiences such as internship and co-op placements can provide, we have many returning co-op students and are proud to have a high percentage of students offered full-time employment upon graduation!

GHD holds many successful partnerships with Universities and Colleges to promote internship and co-op opportunities. Placement opportunities will be posted through your local school Career Center or Co-op office and will adhere to the school’s work term deadlines and program policies.

Find out how GHD can make an impact on your career

What's in it for me?

Dishad Mondegarian

Our globally connected network
10 countries 5 continents
200 + offices
9000 + people
5 market sectors
70 + services - providing a breadth of consultancy services across engineering, environmental, and construction sectors

Graduate on site

The Projects
As a client service-led organization, you will have opportunities to work on a diverse range of projects for clients in varied locations, working in collaborative multi-disciplinary teams led by industry leaders. We cover the full project lifecycle - from planning to designing, sustaining, enhancing and retiring assets - across the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation.

Professional Development

The Professional Development
GHD is committed to the principle of lifelong learning. With the support of the GHD Business School, your professional development will be achieved through 70% on-the-job learning, 20% coaching and mentoring, and 10% attendance at structured workshops and courses.
On the job learning includes exposure to a variety of projects, disciplines, and metropolitan and regional locations. This will give you the opportunity to work with, and learn from a variety of different people.

You will develop your capabilities to become a great technical consultant for clients, and progress your career goals.
GHD encourages staff to attain Professional Accreditation status in their relevant discipline. There are many external Accreditation Programs available to GHD people.

Services-grad

The Networking
Participating in GHD's Young Professional Group mixes learning and global networking across a wide range of social, community outreach and professional development activities to enhance your experience at GHD. By joining a community of peers from different disciplines, you will develop lasting personal connections and expand your knowledge.

Services-grad

The GHD in the Community
GHD in the Community is GHD's Corporate Social Responsibility program, designed to have a positive social and environmental impact on the communities around us. Driven by the interests of GHD staff the program is delivered through partnering with not-for-profit organizations. This includes the provision of pro-bono services and the support of a range of community-based organizations for fundraising, volunteering, workplace support and engagement.

Services-grad

The Innovation
Innovation is acting on the powerful ideas of our people, clients and partners. At GHD, we are harnessing our market sector knowledge and technical talent across our global network to identify the challenges facing our communities and deliver opportunities and solutions.

We nurture a culture at GHD that embraces optimism, collaboration, experimentation and curiosity. The Smart Seeds challenge is an example of an initiative that brings together young leaders from GHD and partner organizations to solve some of the most pressing issues facing cities today.

diversity

The diversity and Inclusion
At GHD, we want our people to feel comfortable to share all aspects of themselves at work. Our commitment toward diversity in the workplace is driven by a strong conviction that genuine inclusion will deliver greater productivity, creativity, and diversity from deeper pools of talent and through fairer processes for all.

Our people are as diverse as the communities we serve across five continents. Embracing diversity of thought, background and experience helps us develop imaginative and responsive solutions for our clients that create lasting community benefit.

GHD's commitment to diversity and inclusion is embodied within our strategy and includes: championing gender equality, cultural diversity, LGBTI inclusion, adapting to the needs of generational workers, as well as flexible working arrangements for our people. Our actions continue to position us as an industry leader.

Frequently Asked Questions

What opportunities for professional growth and training does GHD offer?

GHD adheres to a 70/20/10 framework for how people learn in workplace environments is widely accepted globally and at GHD. The following components compliment and reinforce each other.

70% of learning occurs on the job, it is experience based via practice and stretch project experience.
20% of learning occurs by coaching, mentoring, self-study and reflection.
10% of learning occurs in formal learning settings and structured workshops & courses.

The GHD Business School is the branded name for learning at GHD. It is a dynamic, virtual school that is responsive to the learning needs of GHD people. Learning and development at GHD encompasses a wide range of activities designed to improve the following four areas of business capability:

Leadership and management development
Technical capability and project delivery skills
Clients and business development skills
Safety and project systems compliance

The GHD Business School partners with technical communities and disciplines across the business to identify learning needs to accelerate technical learning excellence globally. The GHD Business School supports learning in a number of ways including: the development of dynamic content, bespoke workshops, through the GHD Technical Conference program and via Professional Accreditation advice, i.e. through continuing professional development points or hours (CPD).

On the job learning includes exposure to a variety of projects, disciplines, and regional locations. This will give you the opportunity to work with, and learn from a variety of different people. GHD covers the full project lifecycle - from planning to designing, sustaining, enhancing and retiring assets - across the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. As a globally connected network, the opportunity for talent exchanges are also available.

GHD uses a variety of ways to build your skillset and knowledge including: coaching and mentoring, talent exchanges, e-learning modules, opportunities for self-study, structured workshops and courses and through our Career Pathways program.

Career Pathways is our global approach to career planning at GHD which encourages you to develop a portfolio of skills and experiences, providing the capability for a variety of future roles.

What does GHD look for?

Our culture is important to us at GHD, and we are keen to employ individuals that share our values of Safety, Teamwork, Respect and Integrity.

As a globally connected network, GHD covers the full project lifecycle - from planning to designing, sustaining, enhancing and retiring assets - across the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. With a diverse business with over 70 service lines, we hire people from a wide range of disciplines.

What is GHD's hiring policy?

GHD is an equal opportunities employer, and hires without regard to an individual's race, color, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age or national origin.

To be eligible to be considered for a position with GHD, an applicant will need to demonstrate that they have the appropriate work rights for the country and that they meet all of GHD's due diligence requirements.

At GHD, we want our people to feel comfortable to be themselves at work. With a workplace rich in diversity of thought, background and experience we believe we have what it takes to deliver amazing outcomes for our clients.

How will GHD people be assigned to projects?

GHD people have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects with the type of work and projects dependent on the discipline, team, location and client needs at the time. Areas of personal interest or development are often considered when assigning people to projects.

We have more than 70 service lines through a globally connected network, offering the opportunity to contribute to challenging and interesting projects. Our people work in cohesive teams, with open communication and leaders who take an interest in the development of their people.

How do I check on the status of my application?

You will always hear from us, regardless of whether you are successful or not. If you have not yet heard, that means your application is still being considered. Our recruiters will contact candidates directly by phone or email. If you are not selected as a candidate for a particular position, you will receive a status update by email or via our applicant tracking system. You are also encouraged to visit our site regularly to check for other available opportunities.

Following the submission of an application GHD will update applicants on the status of their application and inform them of the outcome. If they are successfully shortlisted, applicants will be informed of the next steps in the recruitment process.

Tips for a compelling cover letter

Use a professional, friendly and upbeat tone and address personally to the recruiter if you know their name.
Quote the job title, and where/when you saw the advertisement.
Read the job description carefully so that you can match your most relevant skills, qualifications, knowledge and experience to the job description with clear examples to support your statements.
Outline the disciplines you are interested in, any areas of study you have experience in and when you will be graduating.
Be very clear as to how your skills match the needs of the role and give real life examples if you can.
Focus on the needs of GHD and how your unique combination of attributes could add real value.
Highlight your key selling points and encourage the recruiter to want to find out more about you through your resume.
This is a chance to write about your personal motivations and circumstances, for example if you are applying from a different location to where the position would be, explain your reasons for wanting to relocate, and how you can make this work.
Use short sentences, simple language and be clear and concise - no longer than one page.
Finish with a thank you for the reader's consideration and a call to action - ask for contact or an interview at the recruiter's convenience.

Tips for a great interview

An opportunity

Being invited for an interview means you are seen as a suitable candidate for the role. This is your opportunity to demonstrate to us that you are the best candidate available to fill that role. The interview also provides you with the opportunity to decide if the position and GHD is right for you.

Be prepared

You may also like to consider before your interview:
- What am I trying to get out of my employment with GHD?
- What skills and passion can I bring to the role?
- How do my studies and experience align with this opportunity?

In most instances, the interview will be a behavioral-based interview with questions that require you to draw upon an example to demonstrate the question at hand.
The questions will be based on key competencies/qualities we are looking for in GHD candidates. You can draw upon any examples to help demonstrate the question at hand, whether it be from prior work experience, studying, volunteering, home life or any extra-curricular activities you may be involved in. Make sure you research GHD. Search our website, and brief yourself on our sectors and services, recent performance, projects, competitors, values and locations across the world.
Research commonly asked questions and prepare answers appropriate to the particular position and your experience.

Prepare some questions to ask the interviewer, to show your interest and to also find out if this position is right for you.
Plan to be succinct in your responses and consider practicing a mock interview with a friend or family member.
You may wish to take a notepad and pen with you to the interview with your notes.
Remember your interviewers are there to ask questions to get the best out of you - let your true personality shine through on the day.

What to wear

Dress smart as first impressions really do count. Your personal presentation should be a reflection of you as a person and a potential employee. The key is to feel good and look professional at the same time.

During the interview

Shake hands with confidence, remember to smile and look your interviewer(s) in the eye.
Be polite, honest and be yourself. Listen to the whole question and think about what is being asked before you answer.
Express your interest in our organization during the interview by being positive and energetic.
Explain what makes you unique and how you could make a difference if successful for the position.
When discussing your accomplishments match them to what you think GHD is looking for.
If you are nervous, this is perfectly understandable and normal - try to relax and be yourself as much as possible. It is more than ok to pause and take time to think of a response or to request to go back to a question if you are struggling to think of an example.

Post interview

A brief, friendly email thanking the interviewer for their time and consideration is often viewed positively. Restating your interest in the role could be a deciding factor as to whether you are offered the job.

An internship at GHD is not four months of menial tasks and then never seeing anybody you worked with ever again. GHD invests in all employees, which includes interns. As long as you show the desire to contribute, GHD will give you the tools to allow you to perform at your highest level.

Lily Li, Designer, Land Development, Ontario

For me, the best part of working at GHD is the autonomy. With careful consideration given to safety, risk, economics and quality; the opportunities are unlimited.

James Palmer, Country Manager, Fiji

You get the best attributes of both a small and large company at GHD. At our local offices, we connect with our community as a valued partner helping with projects close to home. At the same time, GHD's global footprint allows you to step outside of your local area to experience something so much broader and different.

Matt Winkelman, Principal Engineer, California

GHD strives to hire talented and motivated individuals and rewards them for their best ideas. Despite its size the organization remains flat, driving individual employee level of responsibility and allowing for timely decision making.

Beate Damm, Principal, Texas

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