Haemin Kim

What is your background?

I am a final year student studying electrical and computer engineering at the University of Queensland. I was born in Seoul, South Korea and started traveling when I was 20 settling in Australia. During my time in Korea, I had the opportunity to work as a video editor and photographer for 18 months and also worked for Samsung. Although these were valuable experiences, I realized that they were not the career path I wanted to pursue in the long term. 

As someone who has always been passionate about engineering, I decided to pursue my passion and enrolled in an electrical and computer engineering program at UQ. I chose to study in Australia because it is one of my favorite countries among the 20 different countries I have traveled to, and I have called Australia my home for the past 5 years. 

I was excited to apply the knowledge and skills I have gained during my studies to real-world problems and make a positive impact in these areas. I am proud to say that Anglo American Vacation program was my first industrial experience, and I am glad that I could complete it with Anglo American. It provided me with an opportunity to gain practical experience in my field of interest and further develop my skills, preparing me for a successful career.

What was your Vacation Placement like with Anglo American?

I was assigned to work at the Moranbah North mine with the engineering and maintenance teams. I found the culture at the mine to be collaborative and supportive. The team was very friendly and welcoming, and it felt great to be part of a team that worked well together. We would often engage in social activities outside of work hours, which helped build stronger relationships.

During my vacation program placement with Anglo American, I created a Standard Work Procedure (SWP), completed change management with relevant Job Risk Assessments (JRA), and Voltage Drop Calculation (VDC) for gas monitoring system. I was assigned an engineering project to work on during my time there as well.

There were a total of six vacation students on site, each from different disciplines, such as electrical, mechanical, environmental, mining engineering, geology, and commercial. It was a great opportunity to work with such a diverse group of students and learn from their varied backgrounds. During weekends most of the vacation students spent time together. We would typically start the day by visiting the local bakery, which had some of the best baked goods I've ever tasted. Later, we would often spend the day playing pool or watching movies in the recreation room. In the evenings we would meet up with other vacation students and engineers from my team at the pub.

Overall, my vacation placement at Anglo American was an enriching experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such an amazing team.

One or two highlights of your Vacation program placement with Anglo American

During my vacation program placement with Anglo American, there were two standout highlights. The first was spending a total of 89 hours in the underground coal mine. I was fortunate to have a great team who were always happy to take me with them whenever I expressed interest in going underground. Despite being an inexperienced miner, I learned a lot during this time including how to plan an underground escape with respect to my current location, risk assessment, and safety awareness. I also gained exposure to various technical aspects such as gas monitoring systems and conveyors.

The second highlight of my vacation program was serving as a mentor for the "School Holiday - Young Engineer" program that Anglo American held. It was an opportunity for children aged 6-12 to learn simple engineering using the LEGO robot kit. About 25 children participated, and most of them were between the ages of 6 and 9. It was fun to help them build their projects, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well they understood the mechanisms. It was a rewarding experience to see them happy with what they had built.

1 or 2 pieces of advice to other university students

• One thing I found to be really helpful during my time at university was getting involved in extracurricular activities. While studying is important, joining clubs and organizations on campus can be a fun and rewarding way to meet new people and develop new skills. Plus, participating in extracurricular activities can look great on your resume, showing future employers that you have diverse interests and can balance multiple responsibilities.
• Another piece of advice I would offer is to stay organized and manage your time effectively, both in university and beyond. With multiple assignments and deadlines to keep track of, developing good organizational habits early on can be a valuable skill. Consider using a planner or digital calendar to keep track of due dates and set reminders for yourself. This will not only help in university but also in the workplace once you enter the industry. Good organizational skills are highly valued by employers and can contribute to your success in any field.