Cameron currently works as Structural Engineer and Shareholder at Ruamoko Solutions Ltd in Christchurch.

He holds a ME (Masters of Engineering) in Civil Engineering.

1. When you were 7 years old you wanted to be... no idea! 

2. Name of the educational institution(s) you graduated from
University of Canterbury

3. Why did you choose your major(s) or specialisation?
The Civil Engineering course is varied and all courses covering all of the civil engineering sub-disciplines are compulsory until the final year. In the final undergraduate year, I specialised in structural and geotechnical courses as they were what I enjoyed the most and the fields I wanted to work in after university. Specifically, for my master’s degree project, I experimentally investigated the seismic performance of a type of precast concrete construction that is used commonly throughout New Zealand.

4. How did you find your first job?
I was fortunate enough to have my first job well before I graduated with my Masters degree. My supervisor had a joint role with the university and as a technical director of the company I would end up with, and through him I was able to get a graduate engineering position. This is pretty common within the engineering school – most undergraduate students end up with jobs before graduating (and before exams) through job fairs and companies recruiting.

5. Describe the interview process you went through to obtain your first position after graduating
As I mentioned above, I was lucky enough to get a job without an interview, although the two year masters degree with my supervisor ended up being an extended interview.

6. What training was made available to you by your employer in your first role?
The company placed a lot of emphasis on technical development and training. Regular technical sessions were held, there were in-house half-day or day long training sessions as well as longer in-house boot camps for using specific analysis programs. Attending conferences and seminars was usually promoted as well, and I was supported in attending an overseas conference. Although there was no formal mentoring/busying system when I first started, there were never any problems getting help/answers from anyone, and especially the senior engineers who were extremely helpful (and patient).

7. Describe some of the roles you have held since your graduate level position 
Since I first started work, I’ve moved from a design engineer to more of a project engineer with a larger overall role in a project. This has meant a move from doing mostly design work during the developed design stage of a project, to being involved at all stages of a job, from setting fees, early concept design meetings, detailed design to construction monitoring.

8. Have you found your degree useful in your working career? Why (or why not)?
The engineering degree is largely varied until the last year, and become a lot more relevant and useful in the last year or two. A lot of the information we learnt was the theory behind what we apply in practice, and we importantly developed a problem solving way of thinking that’s useful in all forms of engineering. For New Zealander’s, an Engineering degree from either Auckland’s or Canterbury’s Engineering Schools is the most common path into engineering work as well - it becomes a lot more difficult without one.

9. What are your plans for the next 5 years?

My plans are to help develop what is still a new and young company and maintain its place as one of the leading structural consulting companies in Christchurch. This will mean continuing to learn – experience counts for a lot in engineering, and there’s a lot to learn technically and business wise. I am also aiming to become chartered within the next year, which is the official recognition of becoming a professional engineer.

10. What advice would you give an upcoming graduate looking to kick off a successful career?
Make sure you look at all that a potential workplace can give you in terms of training, a varied work experience and a friendly work environment – you have to look past the salary that you might be offered. Be proactive and talk to as many recent graduates as you can that are in jobs where you’d like to be – they will be able to provide the most useful advice.