Building strong career foundations
Sharing knowledge is a core philosophy in our Canberra office, which supports the team’s ongoing professional growth.
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The breadth of knowledge within the multidisciplinary team and the strong pipeline of projects provide rich learning opportunities for consultants establishing their careers.
Whether it’s learning on the job or through structured training such as the Spiire Graduate Program, we are committed to equipping our people with the tools they need to pursue their career goals.
Rachel Murdock and Siarn Robertson have each taken different pathways to joining the Spiire business, but share an appreciation for the development opportunities as they forge careers within their respective disciplines.
Small team offers broad scope
Civil engineer Rachel Murdock knew she had found the right fit when she first sat down in the Spiire Canberra office for her interview.
Having moved to Sydney to study Civil Engineering at university, she was looking to return home to begin building her professional career.
“I walked into the office and everyone was wearing these party shirts, because it was ‘party shirt Friday’,” she says. “I could see there was something special about the energy of the team and their approach towards supporting my development as Graduate.”
Rachel says the attitude she picked up on that first day was reinforced as she progressed through inductions, meeting new team members, and participating in structured modules as part of Spiire’s Graduate Program, alongside a cohort of graduate and student consultants from all around the business.
“We really are working together as one team,” Rachel says. “I feel lucky to work with people who are equally as dedicated to making good work and creating a positive environment.”
The size of the Canberra team has presented broad opportunities to progress her technical skills and begin taking ownership of work immediately, with the support of senior staff.
“There was a fair amount of trust to give me responsibilities in projects straight away. It was such a good way to learn,” she says. “Developing new skills happened in a really organic way, just by working together with the person sitting next to me or two desks away.”
Rachel is proud to have contributed to significant projects including the new suburb of Denman Prospect in the Molonglo Valley district, where she worked closely with Spiire’s integrated Landscape Architecture and Water Engineering teams to inform the design process.
“It’s so easy to do that in house. Because the collaboration is so fluid we can produce something that’s much more cohesive. It’s easy to find those opportunities for design improvements,” Rachel says.
Beyond the professional development, she’s enjoyed joining an active social community and being part of Spiire’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, including moderating the panel of speakers for the business-wide morning tea to celebrate International Women’s Day in 2023.
