Lachlan Hawthorn

What makes this civil engineer tick?

Ever since he can remember, Lachlan Hawthorn (BCivEng(Hons) 2019, BA 2019) has been fascinated by how we push the limits of man-made structures. “Growing up, I’d receive the new Guinness World Records book for Christmas, every year, without fail,” he says. “The first thing I’d always do would be to flick to the pages about the ‘tallest building’, ‘longest bridge’ and ‘fastest rollercoaster’. No surprise that Lachlan now finds himself still seeking the biggest and the best as a civil engineer.

Lachlan currently works at AECOM, a Fortune 500 firm that designs, builds, finances and operates infrastructure assets for governments, businesses and organisations. He’s a Graduate Structural Engineer in the Building Structures team at the Melbourne office. All projects are high-profile, each with a great impact on our cities.

“I develop analytical models and undertake specific design tasks for buildings across the commercial, education, residential, healthcare and aviation sectors,” explains Lachlan. “And I conduct site inspections with more senior engineers to ensure that construction safely progresses in accordance with AECOM’s design specifications.”

Reflecting on how Monash prepared him for this role, Lachlan remarks, “You learn many technical aspects of civil engineering as a student, but more importantly you learn how to learn, and you learn how to approach and solve a problem. Engineers are problem-solvers first and foremost, and this is what employers across most industries nowadays seek above all else.”

Lachlan has also benefited from an exchange at Waseda University in Tokyo. “While I learned a great deal of Japanese language and gained deeper insight into Japanese culture, the greatest lesson for me was learning to think more globally,” he shares. “The many nations represented in my classes meant that discussions covered thoughts and ideas stemming from experiences from all around the world.”

Starting in his first year at uni, Lachlan became involved with the Monash University Touch Football Club, participating in several National University Games tournaments and local competitions. He also served on the committee as Treasurer and Social Secretary. “I formed lifelong bonds with teammates and gained invaluable leadership experience,” he relays. “I’d urge every student to join a special interest group, sports club or academic society. When looking for your first job, you’ll find that employer focus has shifted from grades to extracurriculars.”

“To find out what it’s like to work at a particular company, and about the projects at your local office, you need to speak to employees there – so start networking as soon as possible and never stop,” advises Lachlan. “Also, keep an open mind when considering your career options. Not everyone gets their top preference, so don’t limit yourself when deciding where to submit applications.”

As for shaping his own future, Lachlan aims to gain a technical grounding in structural engineering across different markets. “I’ll continue to actively pursue new opportunities within my role, and take on more responsibility, to further develop my professional skills and industry knowledge,” he says. “I’d like to see myself in a leadership role ten years from now, utilising knowledge and providing a service that will make a long-lasting and positive impact on our world.”