We spoke with Riyaz Syed Sahib, who successfully completed the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) Graduate Development Program in 2024.
Riyaz's story
Riyaz holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce (Econometrics) and completed the program while living in Canberra.
Here's what Riyaz had to say about working at DISR and taking part in the program.
Describe your placements and the work you did
My first rotation was with the Planning Analytics (TM1) in the Chief Financial Officer division. I was in an IT support role where I managed TM1 financial software use. I managed software access, delivered training sessions and added functionality to the software (for example, by creating Excel sheets).
My second rotation was with the Australian Industry Participation Authority in the Sovereign Capability and Supply Chains division. They administer the Jobs Act which requires Major Projects to provide ‘full, fair and reasonable’ opportunity for Australian companies. I managed cases from major project proponents, updated the existing database, created Power BI dashboards and assisted in Statements of Procedures updates.
What was the best advice you received when you started with the department?
Take advantage of the professional learning opportunities that come your way, especially self-registered training sessions. It will become harder to take advantage of these opportunities as you progress in the department, so take full advantage while you can!
What was the highlight of your experience in the Graduate Development Program?
I had the opportunity to travel to Sydney for a Major Projects conference. This gave me a chance to listen to speakers from a wide range of fields, and to represent the department in networking sessions.
Why did you choose to work at DISR and what is your favourite thing about the department?
I chose to work at DISR because the department’s portfolio closely aligned with my tertiary education. My favourite aspect of the department was its wide range of activities, which gave me the chance to try different things.
If you moved to Canberra for the program, what is some advice you may have for others about to do the same?
Visit the National Capital Exhibition and collect the map which contains a list of must visit attractions. I particularly enjoyed the Arboretum, Royal Australian Mint and Questacon.
Don’t worry too much about the north or south city divide. All suburbs are generally close to each other anyways, especially if you have your own car.