Sushmitha chats to us about her hopes for the committee this year and the best advice she received as a young engineer.
What inspired you to study electrical engineering?
During high school, I was curious about black outs and frequent maintenance shutdowns despite having so many transformers and tangled, messy overhead power lines running through the city. I’ve always been passionate about solving problems, choosing a discipline like electrical engineering was key to understand and solve the grief of long summer days without electricity. Fast forward by a few years and the versatility of the industry still inspires me.
How did you find working on the YEAQ committee last year and what do you hope to achieve this year?
I was introduced to the committee in 2020. It was a great opportunity to socialise and network especially after the lockdown streak. In 2021, I volunteered as a student ambassador and then in 2022 I began planning and organising young professional events. One of the highlights last year was organising the flagship executive breakfast event which more than 300 engineering delegates attended.
Planning for this year’s events is at full throttle. Our aim is to have fun and enjoy the process as a team. Volunteering needs a level of commitment and it’s a lot more enjoyable when you realise that you get more than what you give.
What have been some of your career highlights to-date?
Every working day comes with a new surprise, and the unforgettable ones are those that begin as a challenge. I made a big move to Brisbane in 2020 through the pandemic to elevate my career, and I see that as a self-commendable highlight.
Second to this is the opportunity to work with Brisbane City Council’s initiative for developing sustainable and resilient sporting conditions.
As an energy efficiency engineer, my role in this program was to enable energy efficient practices for local sports clubs. I enjoyed interacting with stakeholders and advocating a shift to green energy (design and facilitate procurement of solar assets) at an industrial level. I’d like to believe the best is yet to come.
What has been some of the best advice you have received as a young engineer and what advice do you have for other young engineers?
As a young engineer, I value the time I get to spend building an effective network, professionally and socially. This has taught me the importance of work-life balance. In an increasingly competitive and skillful community like ours, it is difficult to achieve a perfect balance between all aspects of life, but not impossible (kudos to those who do).
I’d like to say three things to my fellow engineers:
1. It’s okay to not know all the answers. You are not a search engine.
2. There is no one size fit all, you can always start from scratch if something interests you.
3. Wear kindness as your armour.