What's your job about?
As a Consultant at TSA Management, I work across the “Infrastructure Advisory” service line where I support and guide clients (Government and Private) in making informed decisions regarding infrastructure projects.
Infrastructure in this context refers to assets such as roads, train lines, tram lines, education facilities (e.g., universities), health facilities (e.g., hospitals), energy assets (e.g., wind farms) and water assets (e.g., dams).
I help my clients determine whether or not a particular investment opportunity in infrastructure is actually viable and if it is worth the money. While there is a lot that goes into this type of decision, that is the crux of my job.
So you ask … what does this actually consist of? It consists of economically evaluating potential infrastructure investment, thinking strategically and creatively to tackle hard problems, creating financial models, determining how much an asset might cost, analysing data sets and being client facing.
What's your background?
I grew up in a suburb called Essendon which is 15-20 minutes from Melbourne CBA. I went to Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School where I completed my year 12 in 2017. For the majority of my school journey, I was always more interested in pursing biology and chemistry once I had completed my VCE. However, this changed when I took economics in year 11.
From that moment onwards, I knew that economics was something that I wanted to pursue. As a result, I undertook a Bachelor of Commerce at University. Throughout my university experience, I was never honestly sure of what I wanted to do. I knew that I had a passion for economics, but I wasn’t sure how I could end up applying that in the real world. Over a discussion with a professor, I was made aware of the service called “Infrastructure Advisory” or “Infrastructure Economics” where transport and economic professionals come together to advise large-scale infrastructure projects. This sounded incredibly interesting to me and is something I am involved in at TSA.
While I was prepared to start work at the end of my university experience, I knew I needed a break. Once I finished my degree, I went on a trip to North America with my friends. It was a great way to reward myself for all of the hard work that I had done at university. This is something that I recommend everyone gets the opportunity to do.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
No, I don’t believe so. My understanding of economics has helped me tremendously in my understanding of the work I have undertaken. Without the knowledge I developed through University, I would of definitely been left behind with a significant knowledge gap. This job also entails a good mix of hard and soft skills. The most important is definitely your ability to communicate. Being a good communicator is key in this job.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I love that I have been given the opportunity to work on Australia’s largest infrastructure projects. I never thought that something like this was possible. As well as this, the work I do actually helps inform clients about what the best foot forward is for infrastructure investment (e.g., health sector, education sector and transport). That is, I will actually have an impact that is completely recognisable (the project gets built and is tangible).
To complement this, the culture at TSA is fantastic. Everyone was so welcoming and up for a chat.
What are the limitations of your job?
As part of my role, I have a lot of responsibility when undertaking project work. While this is a fantastic learning experience, there are times when it can be over-demanding and over time stress can build. That is why it is important to be as organised and prepared as possible. As well as this, I also spend a lot of time writing reports and creating excel models. This might not be everyone’s cup of tea (but fortunately … I enjoy this type of work).
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