The buzz in the room was a great indication of the graduate’s honing their networking skills at the Graduate Edge event hosted by Engineers Australia on the art of networking.
30 young engineers and students came under the wise wings of six mentors, who coached them during an initial session on the why and how of networking.
“The room quickly began to buzz with enthusiastic engineers starting to get to know one another and establish relationships that may well last for many years into the future. Well developed networking skills enable us all to learn from one another, share our experiences and build a stronger and more resilient profession. Developing your network early and maintaining it through conscious ongoing effort will help you ride out the tough times through being able to reach into your network for professional and personal support,” Francis Norman, Immediate Past President.
The young engineers and their mentors were then introduced to an eclectic and energetic group of experienced professionals from Iprint3D, Technip, Water Corporation, Australian Water Association, the Noongar Institution of WA and Engineers Australia.
The format provided a safe environment for everyone to practice making new connections and finding topics and passions in common. The discussions that ensued were lively and many exchanges were made in relation to studying, employment, career advice and business deals.
Ryan Eales, Engineers Australia’s 2015 Young Professional Engineer of the Year said, “It was great to get the opportunity to discuss effective networking strategies, and then put them into practice straight away in a safe and controlled environment. I came away with new contacts from industry, Engineers Australia and the Universities. It was a really successful night.”
“The atmosphere in the room was amazing, as it was full of likeminded students and graduates who had all gathered to work on our networking skills and meet new people,” said Jemma Chin, a finance and electrical engineering student at Curtin University. “I personally learnt a lot from this event and walked away with new skills, contacts and friends.” Jemma is completing her Workplace Integrated Learning through a Chamber of Commerce and Industry Internship at Engineers Australia.
Engineers Australia appreciates the time invested by all in making the night a success and wishes to especially thanks the mentors - Past Presidents Francis Norman and Lorie Jones, Avril Thomson from Cossill and Webley, Amanda Pryce and Pratik Shrestha from Aurecon and Ahmed Ibrahim from GE.
This event and many more form the Engineers Australia Graduate Roadmap, which provides a structured program of activities and products tailored to our Graduate members and their professional and personal development needs.