As a Graduate Engineer, my primary role was to rotate through the various fields under SMEC-ACE and find my fit. From Strictly Engineering programs to completely non engineering postings to something with a mix of both I am to find out which particular field I liked best and to pursue that field as my career at SMEC. Instead of putting me in a position which I may feel stuck to, I was given the choice to pursue the works that I liked the most.

Why did you choose SMEC?

I always liked the idea of working in a place where I would be able to work on challenging situations collaboratively with experts in their field and in the process learn about those fields of work from the expert’s own point of view in terms of their approach towards providing a solution. I found out during my university years that SMEC was working on some very challenging and innovative projects that are going to lead Bangladesh into the future. It’s reputation as an industry leader in many fields led me to making a decision that I would very much like working here and be a part of its global team.

What do you enjoy most about your internship/graduate program at SMEC?

I mostly enjoy working with the national and international experts that are the veteran in their respective fields. Sometimes, just watching them work is a pleasure on its own. To get a glimpse of the vast knowledge and wisdom that they have accumulated during their lifetime and to get to share and learn from them is a treat, especially when they tell stories of the struggle in their professional life and what they did to overcome them. Their thought process when dealing with a problem and how they approach towards making a solution is the single most important thing I lookup to when turning up at my desk every morning. As I know today, I am going to learn something from these people that took them over several decades to master and no book in the world will be able to teach.

What surprised you about your time at SMEC so far?

I came into the hiring process thinking that this was a simple apprenticeship program. That I would be posted under an expert and he/she would teach me about their field almost in an academic setting. However, they propelled me into an active project immediately and didn’t hold my hands all the time. SMEC trusted me enough to give me the freedom to do my own work and have my input directly into a multimillion-dollar project. I had guidance from the very best in their field but they did not treat me like a new comer. This helped me greatly in increasing my confidence in myself and almost forced me to think like they would while approaching a problem. This change in mindset has helped me tremendously to the point where I am confident that I can take on any challenges that come my way whether I am familiar with it or not.

At this stage, where do you think your SMEC story is going to take you?

The learning curve that SMEC has put me in is a challenge on its own. I have many opportunities to work with national and international experts and learn from them. It is going to be particularly challenging to absorb the vast amount of knowledge the people at SMEC have and having my own input in various projects to add to my list of accomplishments. In the near future I want to be seen as a valuable and contributing member of my team and the first choice when in need of a solution in management or structural design applications.