And put your career on the road to success

It’s definitely an employees’ market for specialists in many fields including engineering, IT, finance and communications. But with so many jobs on offer, how do you choose your next employer?

Salary is surely one of the main drivers and many people today are finding it hard to resist the temptation to follow the dollars from contract to contract. Other major drivers in choosing your next employer include the credentials you can add to your CV as well as the job satisfaction and rewards you expect to gain from the experience.

As construction across Australia continues to boom, Chief Executive for the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), Les Wielinga, is the first to acknowledge the tough competition his organisation faces with the private sector to recruit the diverse talent needed to build, manage and maintain the state’s vast infrastructure network.

As one of Australia’s largest employers of engineers and other construction specialists, Mr Wielinga says the RTA, like many organisations, will see the loss of some of its most experienced talent as the baby-boomer generation begins to retire.

"Even in today’s market, the RTA offers amazing career opportunities," Mr Wielinga says.

Some people are surprised to learn that more than one-third of the RTA’s 7000 strong workforce are employed in the engineering and specialised technical areas such as road safety, bridge and road design, traffic management and asset planning.

Despite the global shortage of engineers, the RTA is proud to have produced some of Australia’s most significant bridge, road and construction projects during the past 15 years. These include Anzac Bridge, Sea Cliff Bridge, Westlink M7, Lane Cove Tunnel and 300 kilometres of Pacific Highway upgrades.

As an ‘Employer of Choice’, the RTA has many short- and long-term construction projects already underway or in planning, and is currently offering some of the best career development opportunities for graduates and qualified individuals in a range of careers – regardless of age.

"We believe that choosing the RTA provides a greater variety of challenges and opportunities than anywhere else in Australia, and you will be working for a world-class organisation," Mr Wielinga says.

The RTA offers a three-year graduate program, which includes five six-month placements in a range of city, coast or country locations, under the guidance of experienced mentors, offering unrivalled on-the-job training.

Amie Nicholas was recruited in the 2002 intake, with 25 other graduates, after graduating from Sydney University the year before.

"I chose the RTA because I liked the concept of the graduate program," Amie says. "My program experience included project development on the Lane Cove Tunnel, contract administration, working on site for the construction of three bridges in the Blue Mountains and project management, including a 10-month stint in Broken Hill and Newcastle on road and bridge maintenance."

Amie joined the Bridge Engineering Branch after deciding on a career change from project management to structural design. In only 15 months, she has worked on a huge variety of bridge design projects, including timber, concrete and steel design, drainage design, bearing replacements and even traffic lights design and a demolition project. She is also taking part in the new ‘e+ Professional Development Program’, an international accreditation offered in partnership with Engineers Australia, and is on her way to becoming a chartered engineer.

"I work hard and long hours at times, but the RTA supports a good work-life balance and I still have time for my husband and other pursuits in life," Amie says. "Since graduating six years ago, I can see my opportunities won’t end soon."

In addition to job opportunities for graduate and experienced engineers, the RTA also offers rewarding careers in traffic management, road safety, environmental management, information technology, finance and communications.

For more information about job opportunities with the RTA, visit www.rta.nsw.gov.au/careers or call HR@RTA on 9218 6933.