In our ‘day in the life of’ blog series, we aim to showcase the work of our talented team and help you get to know the faces behind our projects a little bit better. This month we sat down with Darnell, one of our Civil / Development Engineers, to chat a bit more about what he enjoys most about being part of our certification team, and his recent appointment to the Association of Australian Certifiers EPIC Conference Committee.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to becoming an Engineer.
I’ve always enjoyed problem-solving, which led me to appreciate the maths and science related subjects more at school. My interest in engineering came about when I read a book in high school about a famous British engineer – Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He engineered many different structures and machines, which inspired me to pursue engineering. After doing an engineering subject in high school which provided an introduction to all sorts of engineering disciplines, I realised I enjoyed the civil engineering side more and from there I knew what I wanted to do.
Walk us through a typical day in your working life. How do you usually start your workday and what are the most enjoyable parts of your day?
My day typically starts off with checking my ‘to-do’ list I prepare at the end of each workday. In the certification team, it’s difficult to determine what a typical day is. Your day could range from being on site for inspections, meeting and liaising with clients and/or other stakeholders, assessing plans and documents, budgeting and scheduling projects, collaborating with colleagues and project management – to name a few.
What do you enjoy most about being part of Barker Ryan Stewart’s certification team?
Being in the certification team provides a good balance of being both on site and in the office. Certification also allows me to be involved in the entire project life cycle for some projects. It’s great to be involved in a project’s design stages and see it come to life when completing inspections during construction.
Are there any stand-out projects that you’re currently working on?
The Schofields Aerodrome project is a large multi-stage subdivision that forms part of Blacktown City Council’s north-west growth centre precinct. Being a large-scale subdivision, the engineering of this project is diverse and even involves the provision of regional facilities including stormwater channels, culverts, and basins. I’ve had the opportunity to assess and provide engineering input for the approval of the Subdivision Works Certificate for multiple stages.
Congratulations on your recent appointment to the Association of Australian Certifiers EPIC Conference Committee. Can you tell us a bit about the Committee and what you’re looking forward to achieving as part of your appointment?
The AAC EPIC Committee is aimed at young leaders within the certification industry. Our goal is to broaden the platform for emerging professionals in the certification industry by creating a network to promote inclusion and forums for open discussions on recent and relevant topics. Being part of the Committee involves engaging with other Committee members to plan and prepare the next EPIC conference. As part of my appointment, I’m looking to provide more awareness for the role of civil and land subdivision certifiers and representing BRS as a firm in this industry. I’m also looking forward to building a strong network in the industry that will allow me to discuss and generate ideas with other professionals.
What’s been the most memorable aspect of working at Barker Ryan Stewart so far?
A friendly and collaborative culture. Everyone is open to discuss ideas and happy to answer questions.
Looking back at your career, is there anything that’s surprised you about being an Engineer?
Being an engineer isn’t all maths and science. You need a strong set of interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with all stakeholders of a project.
Finally, what advice do you have for anyone interested in becoming an Engineer?
If you enjoy problem-solving, working in a team with others to achieve a common objective and the opportunity to innovate – engineering is a great way to go!
Want to get to know our team a bit better?
Check out our other ‘day in the life of’ blogs to learn more about our team.
