DIANE SISMEY, Environmental Engineer, Sydney, Australia

Why did you choose this field?
I have always had an interest in the environment and environmental issues so I wanted to follow a career path which would develop that interest. I had thought about going a bit more in the Environmental Science/Research direction but wanted to feel as though I was doing something practical in the day to day.

What is a day like at your job?

It would be difficult to describe a typical day as every day is different depending on the jobs I am working on. The majority of my time is spent at the computer researching issues for particular projects, and writing reports. Some projects require site visits—which I enjoy—and it’s really helpful being able to visualise the issues you are working with. I also do community consultation work so recently have been spending a lot of time on the phone answering peoples’ questions about projects, such as the Georges River Program Environmental Impact Statement (a review of environmental issues involved in building a new 50-kilometre recycled water pipeline in Sydney) and the Homebush Remediation Environmental Impact Statement (a project involving remediating a chemically contaminated site and sediments in Hom ebush Bay, which is part of Sydney Harbour).

What advice do you have for students considering your field as a profession?
Try to get as much work experience as possible while you are still studying. This will give you a much better idea of exactly which areas you are interested in. Also, don't feel like you need to be focus on particular areas just because they are prestigious. You are better off doing something you are really interested in, than trying too hard to be a “success.” In the end you will be most successful in the things that you are motivated about and enjoy.