What's your job about?
We provide high-quality steel and a rewarding experience for our customers whilst prioritising the utmost safety of our workers.
As an electrical graduate in a maintenance role, improving on existing systems and implementing new ones without disrupting the current ecosystem is a key challenge faced. Currently, I am looking into improving our automated elevation transport systems by reducing the frequency and length of delays. To achieve this, the delays must be quantified to identify the flaws or bottlenecks in the system and each problem requires a unique solution to better the overall efficiency of the steelmaking process.
If you are interested in automated systems, programming or electricity in general then there is no place quite like New Zealand Steel given the size and complexity of equipment and production that you simply cannot find anywhere else in the country.
What's your background?
Growing up in a Māori family as the youngest of seven from West Auckland, working and living in and around Glenbrook is a contrast from what I was previously used to. Although I have only ever lived with my mum and my youngest sister, I always had a great support system from my whanau and friends who steered me in the right direction and encouraged me along the way. This led me to further my career by gaining an education beyond school that would allow me to always have something to fall back on. Now that I am the first in my family to complete a level of tertiary education, I hope I can inspire my nephews and nieces to do the same.
While I always enjoyed school and the idea of receiving a good grade, it was not until late into high school that I realised the importance of self-improvement. By speaking to the career staff at school and taking the generic career quizzes online, I found something that I was truly passionate about and could see myself doing as a career. To get into university as the pathway to achieve these aspirations, I made sure that while I may not be the smartest in the room I will ensure that I was working the hardest. This was carried through to university and into the workplace where I could learn from others and continue to progress into a well-rounded individual.
Before I ended up in my current role, I decided to improve upon the skills that I felt I needed instead of leaving straight from university into the seemingly terrifying real world. By gaining practical experience where I was working alongside electricians I was able to not only gain familiarity with real applications but also learn how to manage and communicate effectively with others. I have been at New Zealand Steel for 6 months and have already seen many different parts of the company that I am interested in and would love to continue to learn about.
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Could someone with a different background do your job?
As a Graduate Engineer at New Zealand Steel, the requirements are that you have a relevant degree typically in Electrical, Mechanical or Chemical however there are numerous ways that these degrees can be utilised and there will be something that caters for your specialisation, your interests and even finding something that you want to do which may not be exactly what you studied.
In a large company like New Zealand Steel, you must have the drive to learn accompanied by the determination to seek new information for yourself as the opportunity is really what you make of it. There will always be something to learn here and that is why so many of the staff have long careers here as there are many plants to work in and within those plants, there are many roles that you will be passionate about and can work towards.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The thing I love most about working at New Zealand Steel is the sheer scale of the site and the impact that one seemingly small change can have. This can seem daunting at first, but every person that I have met here has made me feel welcome whether it's people that I work with or even just strangers I walk past on the way to the office improving any part of the place is that much more rewarding.
What are the limitations of your job?
As a new graduate, responsibility is not thrown directly at me and there is no expectation to know exactly what to do and how to do it from the get-go. New Zealand Steel recognises your ability but understands that there are areas that by coming from the university you may not have developed yet but will help you to do so if you have the desire to learn how. The biggest limitation I would say is yourself, the old saying “you don’t know what you don’t know” is crucial and the only way forward is by asking questions and finding out where you can gain more understanding about the task at hand.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
If I could give myself some advice as a student it would be to not be afraid to ask for help whether that be from your family, friends, lecturers or other university staff regardless of whether it's related to your course material, someone will be willing to help.
Another piece of advice would be to make sure that you do not prioritise study over your physical and mental health. Yes, there are times when you need to knuckle down but if it is going to impact you long-term then make sure you seek the support that you need.
Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the experience of the university by making life-long friends and experiences along the way.