Mansoor Ali Shah

Graduate Electrical Engineer, UNISON

Earning:	$45-50,000 (starting salary)
In a nutshell:	Graduate engineer in a rotational training programme
Why?	“I’m learning something new each day.”

Pathway Mt Albert Grammar, Year 13: physics, chemistry, science, calculus, statistics
University of Canterbury: Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

The earliest indications of Mansoor’s ambitions didn’t earn him much parental approval.

“I was always pulling toys apart, much to my mother’s disgust, to see how they worked. It was clear that I would be an engineer around the age of nine or ten. I just wasn’t sure between electrical and mechanical, until I was at the end of secondary school.”

Now his job involves providing electricity for those who need it. Day to day he talks to customers and contractors to determine what is required and how to get it to them. Mansoor enjoys the combination of dealing with people and focusing on the “nitty-gritty” of electrical analysis.

“The best part is actually getting a positive result for my effort. This job is pretty creative – creativity helps find solutions when at first glance there aren’t many.”

The skills Mansoor is developing in his current role are building his understanding of the electricity market, and would allow him to become a technical consultant or HV machinery design engineer in the future. This would enable to work all over the world, but for the moment he’s enjoying supporting the New Zealand infrastructure.

“An increase in an overall population whether by migration or internal growth is beneficial to the New Zealand economy. My work increases sustainability for such a population increase and allows people to continue moving to the Hawke’s Bay. People want to move where they can run their stoves and playstations.”