Nicole Waterman | Young Engineers Australia

Learn about engineering internships and how they can benefit your organisation from Nicole Waterman, Technical Leader at Laing O’Rourke.

Give me 3 words to describe how you feel when you think about internships...: Excited, proud, enthusiastic
What are the ways that the engineering industry benefits from student internships?: The industry gains a fresh view of engineering as we employ student interns. They bring to the industry a link to the latest academic research and thoughts. It’s a great opportunity for engineering companies to reflect and question why we do things they way we do? Are they still relevant in today’s society and technology?
What are the ways that you connect with students in relation to internships?: I’m Laing O'Rourke’s Intern Program Sponsor so I personally support and meet all our interns as they join the industry and our business.
Is there anything you'd like to say to students who are at the stage of looking for an internship?: Take the time to think about what you’d like to gain from an internship and which company is best placed to help you achieve that.
Do you have any experiences as an intern yourself?: I had an internship while I was studying engineering and it gave me a leg up for the first part of my post graduate career. I worked as a CAD technician for a design consultancy. I learnt a lot which helped in my final years at university.
How do you feel when you think about the experience?: I feel proud of going out and finding the role which wasn’t advertised but I really wanted to join the industry ahead of graduation and this was such a great opportunity. I still thank and keep in touch with the business who took a chance on me in those early days.