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Building the Foundations of a Career

By Tarlia Gerald | Project Lead: Pavement Engineering & Construction: Transportation

My career started in 2021 as a Graduate Engineer. Rather than immediately specialising, I took the opportunity to gain exposure to different areas of civil engineering, including geometrics, stormwater management and bulk main services. That experience helped me understand how different disciplines connect and helped me discover where my strengths and interests lay. In 2022, I joined the Pavement Engineering and Construction Division at Naidu Consulting, which quickly became a defining part of my career. Within four months, I was entrusted with my first pavement design project under supervision, and within a year, I progressed into a Project Lead role. That early responsibility taught me that becoming a capable engineer is not just about developing technical knowledge; it is also about learning to make decisions, communicate effectively, manage expectations and take ownership of the outcome.

Growing Beyond My Comfort Zone

One of the biggest changes in my career has been developing the confidence to use my voice. Moving from graduate-level responsibilities into project leadership meant that I could no longer rely solely on the experience of those around me. I had to develop my own judgement and become comfortable making and communicating decisions. Representing Naidu Consulting at professional engagements, contributing to industry discussions and working with senior specialists and stakeholders also pushed me beyond traditional technical work. I have learned that confidence does not mean knowing everything. For me, it means being prepared, asking the right questions, being willing to challenge something when necessary and trusting that my experience gives me a valuable perspective.

Developing Leadership Through Opportunity

My transition into leadership happened quite early in my career, but it has continued to evolve as my responsibilities have grown. As a Project Lead, I learned to manage multiple projects, coordinate multidisciplinary teams and balance technical requirements with programme, client and delivery considerations. Today, leading Naidu Consulting’s Integrated Climate Solutions Unit has broadened my understanding of what leadership can mean. I work across different divisions, helping to embed climate-conscious thinking into planning, design and implementation. It has also given me the opportunity to engage with clients such as SANRAL and the Department of Transport, senior executives, industry specialists and other stakeholders. I have learned that leadership is not about having all the answers; it is about creating space for good ideas, bringing people together and helping others see how their work contributes to something bigger.

Learning, Sharing and Giving Back

Mentorship has become increasingly important to me because I have experienced first-hand how much professional growth can be accelerated when someone is willing to share their knowledge and create an opportunity for you. Santosh Soobryan taught me that being a good engineer means having the ability to identify the details and mistakes that others may overlook. Semeshan Naidoo taught me the fundamentals of pavement engineering and helped shape the way I approach pavement design. Mahendren Manicum taught me the importance of giving my ideas a voice, having the confidence to put them forward and creating space for myself and others to contribute within the industry.

As I have progressed in my career, I have become equally passionate about giving that opportunity to others. Naidu Consulting’s Academy of Excellence provides a meaningful platform for this, focusing not only on technical development but also on professional growth and workplace readiness. I have also had the opportunity to speak to young girls about STEM careers and what it is like to be a female engineer. These experiences have reinforced my belief that sometimes the most powerful thing you can give someone is the confidence to see themselves in a career they may not have previously considered possible. For me, mentorship is not simply about transferring technical knowledge; it is about helping people build confidence, recognise their potential and know that there is a place for them in this profession.

Challenging the Status Quo

My experience in engineering has taught me that breaking barriers is not always about one defining moment; it is often about consistently stepping forward when an opportunity presents itself. My technical work has taken me into areas that are relatively new to traditional engineering practice, including carbon quantification, climate adaptation and sustainable pavement technologies. These experiences have reinforced my belief that being an engineer means being willing to question how things are currently done and look for better, more sustainable ways of delivering infrastructure.

Building a Legacy of Opportunity

For me, inspiring the next generation is closely linked to representation and creating opportunities. I want young women entering engineering to see that there is no single path they have to follow. My advice would be to stay curious, take opportunities that challenge you and not feel that you need to have your entire career mapped out from the start. Build your technical foundation, find people who will challenge and support you, and when you eventually have the opportunity to open a door for someone else, do it.

Growth Beyond the Job Title

By Segakweng Khutlapye | Sector Manager: Construction, Bridges & Buildings

I joined Naidu Consulting in 2023 as a Resident Engineer, coming in with a solid grounding as an Assistant Resident Engineer; managing projects under supervision and learning the discipline of construction oversight and contract administration on the ground. That foundation, paired with generic management studies I pursued alongside my engineering work, carried me into being elected Sector Manager in June 2025. My growth at Naidu has been far more exponential than most, and I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity, granted under leaders who have genuinely poured into my career, taken the time to mentor me through complex contractual and technical decisions, and trusted me with responsibility ahead of where I might have placed myself. I've been privileged to work alongside CEOs, project managers and directors, to run projects worth millions of rand, among them the Kokstad Interchange and Traffic Control Centre, a R590 million SANRAL project on National Route 2 that remains one of the proudest milestones of my career; and to be exposed to different provinces, different project types and different challenges, all of which have shaped who I am as much as any qualification has.

One of the things I value most about this journey is that I haven't allowed myself to be confined to one sphere. Engineering is broad, and I've deliberately moved across it, from structures to water infrastructure, to roads, and now into project management, while concurrently functioning as Sector Manager. Switching between these disciplines keeps me sharp and keeps me fit for the long game. It exposes me to a wide range of influences, the good, that pull me forward, and the not-so-great, that toughen and propel me further still. Either way, I come out more capable than before.

My professional registration has walked alongside that growth, from my first ECSA registration as a Professional Engineering Technologist in 2018 to my second registration as a Professional Technologist in 2023; each one a marker of technical credibility earned, not assumed.

My Masters in Sustainable Urban Planning and Development was a deliberate choice to diversify myself, reading where the world is heading and positioning myself within sustainability engineering, town planning, and urban engineering rather than staying narrowly technical. That decision continues to inform how I approach infrastructure today.

Engineering is a tough environment. It's a technical and contractual jungle that has to be navigated with skill, and it demands strength, fortitude, mental capacity, boundaries, and a voice. Yes, men have predominantly occupied these spaces, and the reality is that you often have to work harder than your average counterpart. But that's the way of the world, and if we limit ourselves by how the world is currently shaped, we stop being pioneers. Women are strong. Women are capable. Women are intelligent. They are masters at reading environments and adapting. There's no need to prove yourself when your work, character and integrity speak for themselves. Greatness does not need to defend itself and truth always prevails.

Granted that you will face opposition. You will face challenges that stretch beyond what feels like your capacity to bear. Some of those challenges have brought me close to breaking, but every single one has turned out to be more of a growth journey than a setback, and each has left me discovering that I am stronger than I knew. That's exactly where solutions are found, where innovation happens, and where real growth takes root, especially under the right environment, leadership and guidance.

My advice to young women entering this space: growth doesn't look linear, and it shouldn't have to. Believe in something beyond the job. Build your own stance, your own personality, your own framework for life outside of work. You are what contributes to the work, not the other way around. It's part of your life, not your entire life, and you are defined by so much more than your title. For me, what grounds and motivates me beyond every opportunity I've been given is family, people, and above all, God. Life is meant to be lived and every so often we have the privilege to express it through our careers!

To me, empowerment isn't being handed a seat at the table; it's walking into the room already knowing your identity, your personhood realized through your work and output has earned you the right to be there, and choosing to hold the door open for the next woman behind you.