Veronica
- Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science
- Grad year: 2019
- Program:
- Campus: Vancouver
Process Mining Production Engineer (EIT) at Rio Tinto
For Veronica, regularly traveling and working for half a month at a time are all just part of her typical work routine.
“I work a fly in fly out job, which means that I normally work two weeks at a time and then I get two full weeks off. It is a really cool experience, you fly all the way up [north], pretty close to the Arctic, and you live there! You get food provided for you, you don’t have to cook, you don’t have to clean, you get a nice room with all your clothes already up in the closet, it is pretty luxurious life” Veronica laughs when asked about her work life.
However, what Veronica loves most about mining engineering is being able to do what she loves for a living.
As a production engineer, Veronica’s main tasks involve looking at operation performance, understanding the current plan and coming up with ways to improve, data analysis, presenting as well as working in –50 °C open pit. “It is super fun, and the people I work with are awesome,” she says, beaming with passion as she outlines her day-to-day responsibilities on the job. According to Veronica, the biggest, and most rewarding part of mining engineering is being able to see the direct impact of the work and being able to physically see the outcome of all these tasks and solving the problem at hand.
While Veronica has found her love for mining now, the quest to find the right career for her took time. In fact, it took attending many open houses, switching her major, networking with different individuals and even a coop term in Mexico (which required her to learn to Spanish for the job!) before Veronica ended up where she is today. Drawing from her undergraduate experience, Veronica’s biggest advice to students is simple but powerful: search for what makes you happy. “When it is not right, it is not right, that was the biggest thing I learned. Rather than just saying “hey, I am not happy,” being able to address it and say “I know I am not happy, and I am going to do something about it.”
Veronica teaches us that by prioritizing you own happiness; you cannot go wrong with any career path you choose.
