Dominique Djaidiguna is a final year environmental engineering student at UNSW Sydney. She is also working as a graduate engineer at Downer as she concludes university, and gives us insight into her busy schedule with work meetings, site visits, study and play!
Mondays are typically packed with meetings. The morning kicks off with me planning my to-do list for the week, followed by our weekly team catchup. The team comes together to share weekend stories and discuss the week’s work plan over a cup of coffee (or, in my case, hot chocolate). Monday is also when we have our weekly sustainability meeting. As the sustainability lead for one of the projects, I am responsible for facilitating the meeting and keeping the team informed about any project-related concerns, site progress, materials, and approvals. After work, I have dinner before heading to the ice rink for skate practice.
On most Tuesdays, I set my alarm for 6 am because it is site day! The construction site that I am working on is 2.5 hours away by train from where I live, totalling 5-hours of commute time in a day. During the long train ride, I make the most of my time by either catching up on some work, reading, or taking a quick nap. Site days are always exciting because I get to see the ongoing construction work, meet with subcontractors, and carry out my weekly environmental site inspections. It’s like watching a complex LEGO set come together, week after week! In the evenings, I either have dinner with friends in the city or go to the gym. Afterwards, I dedicate my time to prep for class (as I still work for UNSW in my spare time).
This is when we have our weekly project-specific meetings, which bring together various teams from procurement, commercial, design, environmental, and community. These meetings provide me with the opportunity to stay updated on project developments, get a four-week outlook of the ongoing work, share any new sustainability initiatives or updates with the entire project team, and ask any questions that I might have.
There are various sustainability requirements from the client that we need to comply with as contractors, and one of them focuses on project legacy and initiatives. Working in sustainability means that I need to develop and implement these initiatives, which could be material, design, or community related. Given that it requires collaboration across different teams (not just the environmental team), I frequently organise workshops or meetings to explore ideas that are in the early stages and determine their feasibility. The next step involves confirming with the client whether these initiatives can earn us points (that is how we keep track of our progress). Once approved, we can move forward with the implementation and tracking of the initiative. It is always rewarding to witness ideas on paper and proposals come to life!
After work, I grab a bite, commute to uni for class, and if I'm not completely drained from the day, I hit the gym.
Thursdays are dedicated to work and wrapping up any outstanding tasks or deliverables that I may have. Sometimes, we have subcontractor kick-off meetings, where the Downer team outlines ground rules, contract details, scope of work, schedules, and safety requirements that the assigned subcontractor must adhere to. This includes tasks like submitting monthly sustainability data. These meetings are very important in setting clear expectations for subcontractors right from the beginning, which would be beneficial in the long run.
We normally have our monthly nationwide sustainability meetings on Thursdays, which draw colleagues from different states to introduce and discuss new sustainability initiatives and practices. It also provides us with an opportunity to catch up on the projects being undertaken by teams in other states.
Most evenings, my schedule is quite packed with networking events, society gatherings, trivia nights, or simply dinner with friends. I do enjoy socialising, so these evenings are a treat for me!
Friday is my work-from-home day, and it is undoubtedly my favourite day because I can sleep in a little later without the need for commute! Plus, there's the added perk of working in my pyjamas. Typically, I use this day to finish up my tasks for the week and get a jump start on planning for the week ahead. After work, I hit the gym and then unwind by spending time with friends or enjoying a nice dinner.
I absolutely love weekends! They are filled with activities like road trips, coastal walks, snorkelling (or occasional scuba diving), etc. But even on weekends, I still have tasks to do like cleaning, grocery shopping, meal prep, and ice-skating practice. They keep me grounded and organised.
Weekends also provide me with the space to unwind, recharge, and reflect on how the week has unfolded. Amidst all the exciting activities, taking a moment to journal and self-reflect helps me to prepare for the upcoming week with renewed energy and perspective.
I know that my typical week can be quite hectic, but that is what I enjoy. However, it is important to acknowledge that not every week is smooth sailing. There are days when all I want is to stay in bed and do absolutely nothing. It’s completely natural to have days when things do not go according to plan, and that is alright. Just remember to be kind to yourself and recognise that it is okay to hit the brakes, take a breather, and recharge.
For more information about studying environmental engineering at UNSW Sydney visit the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.