The transition between studying at university and starting your first industry role can be overwhelming. Adjusting from a daily structure of tutorials and lesson plans to an unfamiliar world of meetings and multiple projects is often tricky.
But from the classroom to the boardroom, Stantec is there for all their employees.
It’s something Lauren de Verteuil, a Civil Engineer with the global leader in sustainable engineering, design, and environmental consulting, can attest to:
“You’ll often hear people comment that what they now do at work is so different from their courses at university. I think it’s important to have a structure when you start a job, to keep yourself accountable, and to understand your strengths and areas to improve. The right employer absolutely helps you do this.”
From intern to fully qualified engineer, Lauren shares more about how she’s been supported from day one in her career at Stantec.
6 ways Stantec supports new employees
1. Learning is continuous; technical and soft skills go hand-in-hand.
Lauren joined Stantec as an intern while she was in the final year of her Master of Professional Engineering, working a couple of days a week alongside her studies. On completing her degree, she joined Stantec’s Graduate Program and hasn’t looked back:
“At Stantec, every day is different. There’s always a mix between design work and project management, office-based mornings and then walking around the site in the afternoon, steady projects and opportunities to win new work – it’s never boring, and there’s always something to learn.”
The graduate program helped Lauren gain hands-on experience across various departments and develop the technical and soft skills she needed for her next role. She shares that there’s an outstanding balance between what you bring to the role and how management actively encourages and grows your expertise:
“I thought it was going to have a lot of emphasis on technical knowledge, almost like units at university with a detailed rubric. Stantec has taken more of a soft skill focus on the program, which better aligns with the Engineers Australia approach for chartership. With this, it is up to you to get all you can out of the program. However, on a day-to-day basis, your line managers are the ones helping you work on your technical understanding of the job.”
2. Management helps you plan your future in ways that work for you.
Knowing there’s a clear route to the next level of your studies can be comforting when you’re at school. But at work, it’s easy to find yourself adrift and uncertain about your next step.
At Stantec, Lauren has found supportive management that not only has a plan for her but also seeks to grow her skills in ways she might not have even considered herself:
“We have great line managers who help us develop in our careers. I have always clearly known my managers have a strategy in place for my career, even before I knew what my five-year plan was! I’ve been pushed enough to be out of my comfort zone, but I know I always have the support I need.”
Be pushed to be the best professional you can be with supportive management, inclusive policies, and excellent career development benefits.
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3. As a global company, they share global learnings and a global, inclusive culture.
Stantec is a world leader in sustainable engineering, design, and environmental consultancy. Their company vision is to always look for ways to improve existing approaches to tackling significant issues like climate change and our ever-increasing digital futures.
Over 2,000 employees work at 25+ sites across Australia, yet Lauren says you never feel like a cog in a machine:
“During the early phases of your career, it really helps that Stantec has a huge focus on community. We have all the benefits of exposure to opportunities provided by being an international company, whilst also having the synergy and closeness you get from working within a smaller team.”
4. A clear path to make an impact from day one.
Part of feeling like you’re a valued team member comes from being trusted to be involved in projects that make a difference. One of Lauren’s favourite aspects of her role is the impact her work has on the success of the business and real people’s lives:
“I work within the land development sector and work closely with developers to design new communities. I then work with the civil contractors to oversee and manage the construction. We listen to what people need so we can help them thrive and build a better future.”
Stantec places trust in even its new starters, and Lauren says it gives everyone a real sense of achievement and builds confidence:
“From day one, I was able to get involved with pitches for new business and research for major projects. Some of my favourite work highlights from my first year were running my first site meeting and winning projects based on feasibility reports I helped write.”
5. Opportunities to grow your professional community and give back.
Lauren is an active member of Stantec’s Developing Professional Group and Perth Community Events:
“I joined the Developing Professional Group committee two years ago and became the state lead for Western Australia and Northern Territory for 2024. I gained a lot of experience when I was a lead and managed a team of 12 people. I became a friendly face around the office and was able to engage with people I would never have otherwise.”
At Stantec, there are opportunities to join various groups and communities to connect with colleagues and establish support networks across the company:
“There are so many benefits to joining community groups or industry committees–you are surrounded by like-minded people and are exposed to even more opportunities.”
6. The chance to say ‘yes’ to whatever you want from your personal career journey.
At Stantec, building a successful career is always part of the plan. There are continuous opportunities for growth and development with full support from management, from coaching and mentoring to secondments, training courses, and financial contributions to external qualifications.
Lauren has recently completed Stantec’s internal training program for Project Technical Leads and has been accepted to join an industry committee – Urban Development Institute of Australia’s Outlook Committee.
Stantec is there to support you however you need them to, but Lauren says there’s one key secret to success that needs to come from you:
“Be a ‘Yes’ person! Say ‘yes’ to optional tasks, say ‘yes’ to lunch with a colleague, or ‘yes’ to an after-work networking event. It’s always noticed when someone is not only good at their job but also a proactive team member.”
