Q&A with UNSW EngSoc President, George Shang
George explains how his involvement in the UNSW Engineering Society (EngSoc) has prepared him for a rewarding career in the energy industry.
Published on the 09 August 2024
What motivated you to be part of engineering?
My interest in STEM originated from a dream of wanting to make a positive impact on the world. I immigrated from China when I was 11 years old, and living in a cleaner environment was one of my parents’ main motivations for the move. Ever since then, climate change has always been a problem that I wanted to help solve.
With reports about global warming and decarbonisation becoming more mainstream as I neared the end of high school, renewable energy engineering resonated with me and seemed to tick all the boxes for what I wanted to pursue as a career. After four years at UNSW, I feel extremely fortunate to have made the right choice back in year 12.
Why were you inspired to join EngSoc?
I actually joined EngSoc because I wanted to learn photoshop and make some uni friends. I heard about EngSoc from attending one of the O-week welcome events and spoke to some of the society executives, including the Marketing Vice President who told me that, as much as the society is about meeting people, you’ll also learn soft and technical skills that’s not taught in engineering classes. And when I first stepped foot into the EngSoc internal team induction, I suddenly realised that EngSoc was something much bigger than I thought.
While everyone was very welcoming, it was a big shift from my high school experience – people were extremely engaged and passionate, and some knew exactly what they wanted to do after university. It was a great network for me as a first year knowing nothing about university or industry, and I used the opportunity to ask my seniors many questions, and quickly learnt about all the opportunities available at uni and in industry.
In some ways it was a bit overwhelming because I never expected there to be so many things I could get involved in at university. So I stayed, because I really enjoyed being part of this community, and knew that one day I wanted help bring improvements and grow this community just like my mentors did.
Who can join EngSoc?
Anyone at UNSW can participate and come to our events. We welcome everyone with a passion for STEM regardless of your degree, because engineering is so broad and the work itself is collaborative in nature. EngSoc is a place where all disciplines of engineering come together, but we also welcome disciplines outside of that – people with double degrees for example. If someone has the passion for making the world a better place, then we welcome them into our team.
How does EngSoc help students transition from university to a rewarding career in engineering?
For anyone who wishes to get involved straight after starting uni, we host our peer mentoring program which had a record breaking 264 sign ups this year. The peer mentoring program runs for all of T1 and is one of the best peer support systems for the transition into university. You get put in a group of first years and paired with two mentors. Their advice really helps because you get to skip the mistakes that everyone else repeats in first year, and you can find some of your first uni friends through the program.
Those who are more eager to volunteer can join our internal team through the subcommittee and choose one of our eight portfolios: Socials, Careers, Sponsorships, Publications, Marketing, Programs and IT. Each portfolio has their own unique set of skills that the student can develop and learn throughout their volunteering period.
Aside from professional development, EngSoc is also about having fun. We have a ton of social events throughout the year - ranging from camp, ball, parties, BBQs, games nights, etc. - all with the same goal of enriching student life at UNSW and giving people an opportunity to meet their peers outside of the classroom.
Do you have any tips for young people about to embark on their own engineering journey?
It may be generic, but the best advice I can give to a first year is: just try everything. Don’t be afraid to apply for opportunities because you think you don’t qualify or have enough experience. You will figure out what you enjoy doing and what you don’t; you will meet people who you never expected to relate to; and you will have a more fulfilling university experience by being brave and trying new things. I never did any leadership activities in high school, but stepping out of my comfort zone early was one of the best decisions I made as I embarked on my professional journey.
University will be challenging, but you don’t have to do it on your own. Just like how big engineering projects require talent from a multitude of perspectives to be successful. You should learn to collaborate with others, take initiative, be creative, and most importantly be grateful to the people who help you throughout your engineering journey. Cherish your relationships and try everything you can, because one of those opportunities might be your passion and future career path.
I wish you luck on your journey, and I hope you can find a career in something that you are passionate about!
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