What's your job about?
My role as a mining geotechnical engineer is all about striking gold, quite literally, in the remote corners of Western Australia. I ensure our mining operations are both productive and safe.
My day starts early, often before sunrise. My first task was to check the safety monitoring equipment. Safety always comes first in our line of work. The rest of the day can be a dynamic mix of tasks. A combination of computer work, site visits, and interactions with the operators. For example, I might spend hours analysing mine designs on my computer, making sure our plans are rock-solid, or I could be out in the field, inspecting the mine first-hand. As a Geotechnical Engineer, I work closely with the mining team and will often discuss developments and upcoming plans. And if unexpected challenges arise, that's where my problem-solving skills shine.
After a fulfilling day's work, I unwind with colleagues. We hit the gym, play sports, and occasionally relax with a drink at the wet mess or enjoy a movie under the stars at the outdoor cinema.
What's your background?
I was born in India, but my story truly unfolded through migrations and explorations. At the age of five, my family and I embarked on a life-altering move to Auckland, New Zealand, a place that instilled in me a deep appreciation for cultural diversity and the remarkable individuality of people.
By 15, we had moved again, this time to Perth in Western Australia. This shift marked my second encounter with adapting to a new home and culture. It was during these formative years that my identity as a first-generation migrant from India became firmly rooted, shaping my outlook on the world.
I attended university in Perth, at UWA, where I pursued a dual degree in Finance and Engineering Science. While finance intrigued me, it was engineering that truly captured my heart. I thrived on the challenge of building, dismantling, and comprehending intricate systems.
Engineering held a promise that deeply resonated with me – the ability to create tangible, real-world solutions. It became evident to me that engineers were the architects of our modern world, shaping everything from our towering skyscrapers to our hand-held devices.
Through a series of internships across diverse engineering sectors, I found my calling in mining as a geotechnical engineer. The mining industry offered the perfect blend of technical complexity, opportunities for career advancement, and a close-knit team that felt like a second family.
For the past three years, I’ve been working as a Geotechnical Engineer, and it has become an inseparable part of who I am. Each day presents fresh challenges and new adventures, and there's nothing else I'd rather be doing.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Absolutely! All you need is curiosity and you’ll do great. A lot of the tricks and competencies of my role were learned while doing the role. Forget books and studying, the role is experience-based, and generally most of the concepts that make you a great geotechnical engineer come from trying, failing, improving, and then trying again! I would encourage a person to be curious, ask questions, and just give anything within the role that interests you a shot. At three years in, I think I’ve just scraped the surface of what is to be learned within geotechnical engineering, and I still show up every day as if it is my first to keep on learning and growing.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
My role is super cool. From driving big 4WD’s on-site, to solving real-life problems and making sure everyone is safe inside the mine there's always something to keep me occupied.
What are the limitations of your job?
The downside to my job is that it's far away from home. I don’t get to see my family and friends for multiple days at a time and sometimes I miss out on events such as birthdays. Shift hours can be super long – as long as 12 hours straight and sometimes, even more. The flip side of this is that my breaks at home are also super long. I work on an 8:6 roster. This means that for every 8 days I work, I get 6 days off at home! This is perfect for taking trips domestically and internationally in between swings.
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