William

Graduate Process Engineer

Why did you choose to work for us

Hey I'm William, I am a graduate process engineer with Wood's New Energy team.

During university I picked up interest with the renewable energy/future fuels area and undertook some internships at processing plants. However, I eventually decided that I wanted exposure to a wider variety of projects as opposed to dealing with the same process everyday. This led me to closely follow the many engineering consultancy firms out there.

Amongst them, Wood naturally checked both of these boxes for me, being an energy-focused consultancy delivering projects for a multitude of different clients.

What is your favourite thing about your role

Within the New Energy team, my work is already diverse with projects mainly in carbon capture and hydrogen space - the latter is a nascent industry and deals with early design stages including cost estimation, process flow development and technology selection.

Additionally, I am sometimes involved in oil and gas projects external to my team, and these enable me to work more traditional and detailed side of chemical engineering (i,e. marking P&IDs, piping calculations, blowdown relief calculations, etc.). In essence, it's the "zoom in, zoom out" between early concept all the way to detailed design opportunities that I enjoy most and that always makes my work interesting.

What would be a tip for applicants

Before your interview, do background research for the company and the team you want to be a part of. Based on what you have found, note down what information is it that you cannot find publicly.

Take these missing pieces of info that you are most curious about and form specific questions around them that you will ask during an interview. By asking these kinds of questions, you will express your enthusiasm for your role and chosen discipline much better.

It's easy to forget that an interview goes both ways: it is not just your interviewer(s) trying to assess how well you would fit in the team, but also an opportunity for you as a fresh graduate to get to know your potential colleagues, working environment, and responsibilities better. This mutual interest, is what is looked very favourably upon by your interviewer.

How are using your degree in your day-to-day

I would say that at work, many fundamental chemical engineering concepts (thermodynamics, heat & material balances etc.) coupled with a good understanding of the process are employed. Essentially, a little bit of chemical engineering knowledge here and there that I learnt in university is used instead of going into detail from the concepts of only one topic.

For example, I have never been asked to use the infamous McCabe-Thiele method to design a column or the memorise the dozens of other fancy equations. However I frequently have to use the ideal gas law to estimate new gas conditions, perform basic equipment sizing (heat exchangers, pumps, etc.), and perform calculations to work out unknown flowrates. It is more important to understand the process to know what numbers are sensible or not to be used in the design, or as inputs to a HYSYS simulation, for example.

How have you been supported (mentors/colleagues/leaders etc.)

Although I am based in Melbourne the majority of my team is in Perth. Despite this we all maintain contact on a daily basis, and occasionally I will also assist other teams in Melbourne with their projects. This means I have never felt isolated despite working remotely and is something I really appreciate about the work culture.

Wood also has a very strong graduate culture where we often have events arranged by a dedicated graduate committee. These events range from fun after-work activities, to professional seminars with subject matter experts and company executives. Finally, Wood also has a global mentoring program where you can match yourself with more experienced peers for guidance on your career and personal development.

Dani

Graduate Process Engineer

Why did you choose to work for us?

I chose to work for Wood because of the wide variety of opportunities offered. I've been lucky enough to work on large scale projects for big clients in the energy industry with experience in all different project stages, including completions and commissioning. The graduate program and other workshops also allow me to develop my non-technical skills such as communication, conflict resolution and leadership. The sponsored Cert IV in Project Management was another aspect that attracted me to work at Wood, showing that they want to support and develop their workforce.

What is your favourite thing about your role?

The favourite thing about my role is the wide experiences I've had so far and the people I've worked with. I've not only been able to work in the Process Engineering team, but also in Completions, a small stint in Business Development, support for project management, a scribe for numerous design reviews and HAZOPs, and at current, onsite as an Operations Engineer. These experiences have been made all the more enjoyable by the excellent people that I have worked with and encountered throughout my roles.

What would be a tip for applicants?

My top tip for applicants is to be confident and set yourself apart. The business not only wants to see if you have technical experience and interest in the role, but they also want to get to know you as a person and whether you'll be a good fit. Other applicants may have similar experience to you, so think about what sets you apart and promote that as part of your brand.

How are using your degree in your day-to-day?

My degree is highly applicable to the process design work I do. I use Aspen, mark-up P&IDs, design equipment items and more - all the things I learnt in University. In my other experiences, such as my role in Completions & Commissioning and Operations Engineering, it has involved more on-the-job learning, although my degree has helped with problem solving and understanding the basis of the roles and their required tasks. So, my degree has been useful and applicable to my day-to-day roles, but I'm learning more every day.

How have you been supported (mentors/colleagues/leaders etc.)?

Wood has been excellent support wise. The culture is excellent - I've made some great friends, the Developing Professionals Network (DPN), a group for professionals with 5 or less years' experience in the workforce, has also been great for meeting people at work and forming connections. I also have mentors across different parts of the business to support my growth and development, and also to ask for advice. Our early careers advisor is also the best, happily answering my many questions and taking the time to sit down with me and go through them.

Jared

Bachelor of Chemical Engineering/Bachelor of Science (Chemistry)

Why did you choose to work for us

Wood offered a better working culture and work-life balance than the other companies that I was considering.

What is your favourite thing about your role

The great team in which I work. They are supportive, collaborative and I enjoy working alongside them and spending time with them.

What would be a tip for applicants

Investigate the differences between working for an operator and working for a consultant (i.e., Wood) and bring that understanding into the application process.

How are using your degree in your day-to-day

My chemical engineering degree helps me to understand the risks involved with the assets that I am supporting my clients to manage, and make useful recommendations to them.

How have you been supported (mentors/colleagues/leaders etc.)

Technical training from a valued mentor
Support from my managers when things get tough
Understanding peers who are always willing to help me with a work matter, or chat personally
A very helpful admin team

Kedar

Master of Engineering (Technology and Management)

Why did you choose to work for us?

Ever since I graduated from my master’s degree, it has been almost a dream of mine to work with Wood PLC. I remember being freshly graduated and looking at the jobs posted by Wood and saving them for later.

Wood has the organizational values that I resonate with the most. Having a healthy work environment where a graduate is supported to not just perform their current role, but also be supported to develop a skillset for the future that you want to make, is the most important thing for me.

Inclusivity is the other reason that I have always aspired to work for Wood. Being from a different country and a different culture, it is very important for me to feel included, respected, and heard. Wood has a history of having a diverse workforce and having a team that is inclusive and respecting of different cultures and background.

Since having joined Wood, my reasons for choosing Wood have been verified strongly!

What is your favourite thing about your role?

Out of the many things that I love about my role, my favourite part would be being given the opportunity to solve problems with my own approach. My team provide me with opportunities to promote my own way of thinking, make my own mistakes and learn with a hands-on approach.

What would be a tip for applicants?

My tip for aspiring applicants is: Apply! Do not let self-doubt hold you back. Click the “Apply now” button. Your life will change, as did mine.

Tip for current applicants (people who have applied but not yet received a decision): Prepare well for the interview. Read about Wood and their multiple businesses and know which side of the business you have applied for.

How are using your degree in your day-to-day?

I hold a bachelor of Automobile Engineering degree and a Master of Engineering in technology and management degree. The knowledge I have gained from these two degrees combined helps me understand clients’ requirements, understand, and set achievable goals for myself, and come up with solutions for different challenges that come up as a part of the role.

The organizational skills that I have developed during the tenure of my education, helps me a lot more by being effective in communication, setting realistic daily goals, implementing a well-planned time management strategy, and being able to self-reflect and think critically.

How have you been supported (mentors/colleagues/leaders etc.)

My colleagues and my manager(s) have been very supportive ever since I started working at Wood. The team strongly believes in ‘No such thing as a silly question’ and have demonstrated this belief through their actions on more than one occasion. I was enrolled for some learning courses by my manager who had signed me up for those based on my resume, even before I started work at Wood. My colleagues have helped me tackle some issues outside of work as well. From something as simple as finding a good parking lot to assisting me with implementing a better expense management strategy in my personal life, the team has never hesitated to help.

Raymond

Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering and Computer Science

Why did you choose to work for us?

After talking to friends and families who have worked in the engineering industry, the common notion was that in the early days of working in engineering if you want to prepare yourself for a better future, experience is more important than outstanding grades or money. To me, that was something that Wood can provide as they are a consultancy, there would be more opportunities to work with different vendors and clients to expand my skillset and gain that experience that will help shape my future.

What is your favourite thing about your role?

My role isn’t the same task every day, it’s not just programming or looking at a spreadsheet the whole day. Alongside programming the logic for PLCs, I also get to design the user interface for operators, conduct setup and testing to ensure the hardware works, and produce the documentation that gets handed over to the client. Hence, from day to day there are different tasks that I get to do and many opportunities to learn new skills. Additionally, when all this is paired up with a great and supportive team, the week becomes more enjoyable and it tends to go by very quickly.

What would be a tip for applicants?

Good grades aren’t everything. Although it is important to achieve high marks, having good social and teamworking skills are just as important. Work with the people around you and learn from each other, because in the end it feels better to celebrate the success with others than to celebrate the success by yourself.

How are using your degree in your day-to-day?

The technical skills that I have brought over from my degree include the design of ladder logic and SCADA screens. Surprisingly, Excel and Word skills are also very crucial in this role as they both have large use cases. Additionally, the problem-solving mentality that was developed throughout university has assisted my technical skills to solve the problems that came up.

How have you been supported (mentors/colleagues/leaders etc.)?

When I lacked knowledge in a certain area, my colleagues were always willing to give me a quick rundown on the content to ensure that I would be able to proceed forward to complete my task. My managers and project leads also ensured that I had a fair workload. One where I didn’t have too much or too little work on my plate, but still enough for me to learn new skills throughout my time at Wood.

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