Santosh is currently working as a Project Engineer on the Covalent Logistics Road project, located in Mount Holland in Western Australia.
It’s been great to work across various types of projects. Each project presents new challenges, keeping me motivated to learn and grow.
Santosh completed his Bachelor of Civil Engineering and then his Master’s in Engineering at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. He comments that when he was younger, he used to stand and watch the ongoing construction work in his neighbourhood. Watching the work provided him with a sense of calmness and taught him a valuable lesson: building something big starts with laying one brick at a time. Similarly, in life, by taking small steps every day, we can achieve our goals.
Santosh joined Decmil in February 2022 where he commenced work on FMG’s Christmas Creek Hydrogen Refuelling Station project in the Pilbara region. Santosh comments that this project was a good learning curve for him and provided him with a lot of opportunities for gaining knowledge. Santosh says that the most important thing that he’s learnt from this first project was that practical onsite work is way different from what we he has been taught in school and university – and he says that he has learnt something new each day working on site.
After completion of this project, Santosh moved on to join the project team to deliver the Karratha Senior High School Expansion for the WA Government Department of Finance. After successful completion of another project, Santosh now joins Decmil’s project team to deliver a new 110km logistics haul road for Covalent Lithium at the Mount Holland Mine site.
Santosh is appreciative of the opportunity he’s had to work across various types of projects. He says that each project presents new challenges, keeping him motivated to learn and grow. He enjoys the supportive environment that working at Decmil provides him. He appreciates the culture of respect at Decmil and feels that his FIFO job provides him with a good work-life balance.
I enjoy working in construction because every day is unique, with new challenges and opportunities to learn. Working with a diverse team is like working with a group of artists, each bringing their unique skills and perspectives to the project. Also, there is a great sense of satisfaction when a project is completed successfully.
My advice to undergraduates or anyone starting in the construction industry is to remember that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. If you ever doubt yourself or your decision, take a moment to reflect on why you started and what you hope to achieve and always be open to learning and growing. Santosh says that he adjusts his career goals based on his abilities. Currently he is aiming to become a Senior Project Engineer, and he actively seeks opportunities to gain knowledge and experience that will help me achieve this goal.
When he isn’t working, Santosh enjoys playing soccer with his friends and enjoys his latest hobby – fishing – where he gets to enjoy Australia’s beautiful coastline and ocean. During his flights to work sites, Santosh likes to spend time solving Sudoku puzzles or getting some extra sleep!
