27 July 2026
Ever wondered what it’s really like to work as a graduate engineer on a major construction project?
For Leed graduate engineer Paris Rawaqa, every day is an opportunity to learn, contribute and see engineering come to life. And every day is different.
Having progressed from Leed’s undergraduate program into a graduate engineering role, Paris is now based at Lobs Hole on the Snowy 2.0 project, where she’s gaining hands-on experience on one of Australia’s largest infrastructure projects.
What does a graduate engineer actually do on site?
Paris arrives on site around sunrise each morning to start her day.
‘I drive to site and get there around 6.30am ready for our pre-start meeting with the crews,’ she says.
‘Following that, I head into the office and go through a routine of daily tasks relating to production monitoring and shift reports from the previous day and night.
The construction team comes together again at 2pm to discuss priorities and the work ahead, but beyond those meetings, no two days are the same.
‘A day might involve being out on site, procurement, quality assurance, inspections, client meetings and so on,’ Paris says.
‘In general though, most of my activities revolve around being organised and assisting construction with keeping jobs on track.’
What is it like working on a civil construction site?
For Paris, being based on site has been one of the biggest contributors to her growth as an engineer.
‘Being on site has taught me a lot, especially because I’m such a visual learner and things tend to click in my head better when I see them in practise,’ she says.
‘I think the most interesting part about being on site is watching small changes accumulate on a daily basis and reflecting back on the work to find that there has been a massive change.
‘It’s a good feeling to be able to point to something tangible and say I contributed to that.’
The scale of a major infrastructure project was also something that surprised her.
‘It’s big, dusty and so busy; there are so many things happening at once,’ Paris says. ‘There are buildings going up, tunnels, intakes, roads, basins and spoil piles. I was pretty shocked when I first got here because it looks like a small city.’
What about mentors on site?
One of the biggest advantages of Leed’s graduate program, according to Paris, is being surrounded by people who are willing to share their knowledge.
‘My fellow engineers and our construction supervisors are my biggest supporters and mentors,’ she says.
‘They’re always around to offer help or words of encouragement. They all have a wealth of knowledge to pass on.’
That supportive culture is also what makes Leed stand out for early career engineers.
‘Above all else, I’d say that the team is why you should work here,’ Paris says.