About Me

Ziyi Fang | Civil Engineering

I am a Master of Professional Engineering (Civil) student at the University of Technology Sydney, with an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from China. My interests centre on construction, site engineering and project coordination. My academic experience includes drainage modelling with DRAINS and a current research project on lifecycle cost estimation for energy-absorbing railway substructures. I am interested in how engineering knowledge supports safe, practical projects.

In 2024, I completed a six-month internship at Guangdong Jianye Project Management Co., Ltd., gaining approximately 1,040 hours of experience supporting site inspections, construction supervision and project documentation. Working with engineers and other project staff deepened my understanding of communication, accurate records and responsibility within a team. It also taught me to seek clarification when information was uncertain and follow through on assigned tasks. I hope to begin as a Graduate Civil Engineer and develop my skills in site engineering and project coordination.

Resume

ZIYI FANG

Sydney, NSW | ziyi0349@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Civil engineering postgraduate student at the University of Technology Sydney with approximately 1,040 hours of internship experience in construction supervision and project coordination. Practical experience in site inspections, progress monitoring, material record checking and engineering documentation. Seeking a Graduate Civil Engineer role with opportunities to develop skills in site engineering and project coordination.

EDUCATION

Master of Professional Engineering (Civil)

University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia

Relevant study areas: pavement analysis and design, road and transport engineering, urban stormwater design, floodplain risk management, geographic information systems, project management and risk management.

Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering

Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, China

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Engineering software: AutoCAD, QGIS, QField and DRAINS.

Office software: Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

Engineering documentation: Construction drawings, site records and technical reports.

Data and analysis: Quantity records, data organisation and basic spatial analysis.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Civil Engineering Intern

Guangdong Jianye Project Management Co., Ltd., Zhongshan, China

  • Assisted with site inspections and construction supervision, including quality, safety, material and compliance checks under the supervision team’s guidance.
  • Monitored construction progress and prepared site records and project documentation.
  • Reviewed construction drawings, technical documents, quantity measurements and project records.
  • Compared an Excel material register with a delivery note, identified a quantity discrepancy and corrected the entry after confirmation from the supervising engineer.
  • Recorded project issues and follow-up actions during site meetings and supported communication between supervisors, contractors, engineers and other project staff.

SELECTED ACADEMIC PROJECTS

Lifecycle Cost Estimation of Energy-Absorbing Railway Substructures

  • Reviewing engineering literature and lifecycle cost estimation methods for energy-absorbing railway substructures.
  • Examining initial, maintenance and long-term project costs.

Urban Stormwater Design

  • Developed existing and proposed drainage models using DRAINS.
  • Assessed drainage system performance under rainfall events with different annual exceedance probabilities.
  • Prepared model results, engineering tables and technical report documentation.

LANGUAGES

Mandarin Chinese – Native | English – Working proficiency

REFEREES

Available upon request.

Internship Reflection

1) What were your expectations about your internship before you joined?

Before starting my internship, I expected to learn mainly by observing experienced engineers and following their instructions. I thought most of my work would involve reviewing drawings, completing simple records and learning site procedures. I hoped to understand how the civil engineering knowledge I had learned at university was used on construction projects. Because I had limited workplace experience, I expected to need close guidance when completing unfamiliar tasks.

2) What was the reality? How was it different from your expectations?

My internship at Guangdong Jianye Project Management Co., Ltd. lasted from March to September 2024 and provided approximately 1,040 hours of experience. My work included assisting with site inspections, progress monitoring, quality and safety checks, quantity records and project documentation. I also attended site meetings and recorded issues and follow-up actions. The role involved more communication and information checking than I had expected. I learned that construction supervision depended on both technical requirements and the accuracy of the information shared between people. Even supporting tasks required me to understand their purpose and recognise when clarification was needed. I also learned that construction progress must be considered alongside quality and safety. Completing work quickly is not sufficient when drawings or site requirements have not been met.

3) What lessons were the most important from your internship? Why were they important?

The most important lesson was to verify uncertain information before using it. While checking an Excel material register, I found a quantity that differed from the delivery note. I compared the date, material description and document number, then asked the supervising engineer to confirm the correct figure. After the engineer identified a recording error, I corrected the register under their guidance and retained the supporting document. Keeping the original delivery note also meant that the supervising engineer could trace the corrected entry back to its source.

This incident showed me that identifying a difference did not mean I knew which record was correct. My responsibility was to check and communicate the uncertainty, rather than make an unsupported change. I now see accurate documentation as part of engineering responsibility. In future, I will check source records systematically, flag unclear entries and keep a record of confirmed changes.

4) After your workplace experience, what would you say your value proposition would be to an employer? How can you demonstrate this?

I can offer practical experience in construction supervision support, careful documentation and a willingness to seek guidance. The material record example demonstrates my attention to detail and responsible use of information. My meeting notes and site records also show experience supporting communication within a project team. I recognise that I am still developing my technical judgement and need supervision for unfamiliar decisions. I would bring a careful approach to assigned work while continuing to learn from more experienced engineers.

5) How did your internship influence the type of role in which you are interested?

The internship strengthened my interest in site engineering and project coordination. I enjoyed seeing how drawings and technical requirements were translated into construction work, and how different project participants worked together. I hope to start as a Graduate Civil Engineer and develop towards site engineering or project coordination responsibilities. To prepare, I will continue improving my drawing interpretation, technical writing and communication skills. I also plan to seek feedback on my work and use it to identify specific areas for development.

Cover Letter

Application for the Industrus Engineering Graduate Program – Civil Engineering

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am applying for the Industrus Engineering Graduate Program in civil engineering, advertised through UTS. I am studying for a Master of Professional Engineering (Civil) at UTS and have approximately 1,040 hours of internship experience in construction supervision and project coordination. Your structured training, mentoring and varied project roles appeal to my interest in developing broader engineering skills.

3.1 A commitment to ethical conduct and the highest standards of professional accountability

While preparing a material register for the supervising engineer’s review, I found a quantity that differed from its supporting delivery note. Identifying the difference did not mean I knew which figure was correct. My responsibility as an intern was to raise the uncertainty and seek verification before changing the record.

After checking that both records concerned the same delivery, I highlighted the discrepancy and showed them to the engineer. I explained what I had found and asked for the correct figure to be confirmed. Once the engineer identified a typing error, I corrected the register under their guidance and submitted it for review. The entry was corrected through verification by the appropriate person. I followed through on the issue while leaving the final judgement with the supervising engineer.

3.2 Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate both with other engineers and with stakeholders from different fields.

At a site meeting, the arrival time of a reinforcing steel delivery was unclear. The engineer needed the timing to plan an inspection, while the contractor’s procurement assistant was responsible for contacting the supplier. Under supervision, I helped clarify the arrangements between these roles.

I asked the procurement assistant to confirm the expected arrival time and checked with the engineer which material documents were required. I then sent the procurement assistant a short written message explaining the documents to request. I tailored the information to each person’s responsibilities: timing for the engineer’s inspection planning and document requirements for procurement follow-up.

After my supervisor reviewed my notes, I shared the confirmed arrangements with both parties. The expected arrival time was clarified, enabling inspection planning, and the procurement assistant understood which documents to obtain. Both had a written record of their responsibilities.

3.3 The ability to engage with a creative, innovative and proactive environment

For the same delivery, the unclear timing needed to be connected with document preparation and individual responsibilities. I took the initiative to propose a checklist that brought these details together, rather than simply recording the discussion as a general meeting summary.

I organised it around three questions: when was delivery expected, which documents were required, and who was responsible for each action? Using information confirmed with the engineer and procurement assistant, I linked each preparation task to a responsible person. I submitted the notes to my supervisor for review before sharing them.

The completed checklist provided a single written reference for the delivery arrangements, making the required preparation and responsibilities explicit. This was a small, practical improvement in how I organised information for the task, with the arrangements remaining subject to supervision.

3.4 Demonstrated ability to use and manage information

When checking the Excel material register, I compared the delivery date, material description and document number with the delivery note. These checks established that the records referred to the same delivery and isolated the quantity requiring verification. I highlighted that entry and presented the two records together for comparison.

After the engineer confirmed the correct figure, I updated the quantity, recorded the reason for the amendment and retained the original delivery note with the supporting records. I then submitted the revised register for review. The corrected entry matched the verified information, and the engineer could trace it to the source and understand why it had changed. Keeping the correction, its reason and its supporting document together preserved the basis for the update.

3.5 The ability to manage your own performance in a professional environment.

On one working day, I needed to attend a morning site inspection and an afternoon meeting, then organise the records and photographs before leaving. I listed the tasks and deadlines, planned documentation around these fixed activities and completed notes while the details were fresh. Before submission, I checked dates, inspection locations and attachments against my checklist.

I submitted the records on time, but my supervisor noted that some photograph captions did not identify locations precisely enough. I added the floor and area details and included this requirement in my checklist for future submissions. The feedback helped me distinguish between recording a location and making it specific enough for another person to use. I corrected the immediate problem and changed how I would check subsequent work, recognising that meeting a deadline was only one part of managing my performance.

3.6 A demonstrated ability to work as part of a team and to show leadership when required.

Before a project inspection, I worked with two other interns to organise inspection records, meeting minutes and photographs for our supervisor. Unclear responsibilities had led to duplicate processing and unassigned files. I proposed a document checklist and discussed dividing the work by document type. We also agreed on consistent file naming.

I handled the inspection records and tracked completion of each section. When a colleague could not find some meeting minutes, I finished my current set of records and helped search, checking file locations with the colleague responsible for archiving. Before combining our work, we exchanged documents to check for missing or duplicate files.

We clarified responsibility for the files, completed the task within the required timeframe and submitted the categorised records for review. My contribution combined coordination with completing my own work and helping colleagues finish the shared task.

Thank you for considering my application. My resume is included in this portfolio. I would welcome an interview to discuss my studies and experience. Please contact me at ziyi0349@gmail.com.

Yours faithfully,

Ziyi Fang