Hey everyone,
Today is my last day of the Origin Energy vacation program! It has been quite a ride so far. I am based in the Brisbane office but I was fortunate enough to go out to site four times. Three times to Darling Downs Power Station near Dalby, South Queensland and I just got back from Mount Stuart Power Station in Townsville, North Queensland on Wednesday. It was amazing to see everything up close and personal, the most rewarding thing for me was that I really got to see the scale of everything, and let me say, everything was HUGE! It's easy seeing a generator on a single line diagram on paper, but being right next to a hydrogen cooled steam turbo-generator spinning at 3000 rpm was unlike anything I've ever experienced! I've added a few photos from my time out on site at Darling Downs Power Station, in the hopes that everyone can get a glimpse of my experiences for 3 months, but believe me, I don't think the photos do it justice.
This is me, next to the 345 MW turbine at Darling Downs Power Station. I actually got to see inside and see the shaft spinning at 3000 rpm.
Here I am (right down the bottom there) with the other Power Generation vacation student in front of the ACC system (air cooled condenser) I could actually walk comfortably underneath the ACC duct (the large tube). It was HUGE!
The whole program has been such a rewarding experience for me, I feel I have a much clearer knowledge of the industry now. I think the program has been great for upskilling myself and hopefully making me a much better engineer. The culture at Origin is great and I really feel apart of the team. Everyone is willing to answer all my questions (there were quite a few) and guide me through my tasks. I had a ball and hopefully I can return here next year!
That's awesome mate! I've just got my toes wet in study for engineering and really look forward to vacation work. How did you manage to get in? Was it just a matter of applying when Origin advertised (and if so, what put you ahead?)
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your answers! Looks like a great experience.
-G
Hey sorry mate for not replying earlier, I'm getting settled into uni and a new house at the moment, so things have been pretty hectic.
ReplyDeleteA good question, you have to be proactive with your application for vac work, get in early with the companies you want to work with. As to what 'gets me ahead' of course GPA has a bit to do with it but most of it is nailing the interview. Prove to the company that you're applying for that you align with their values and beliefs and that you would be an asset for the company. What year are you in? First? If so it may be a bit difficult to grab some vac work experience with bigger companies but get your name out there and be proactive about it.