Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Alex Ostojic and I’m a Mechanical Engineer working in the Australian Marine division, delivering on our day-to-day in-service support for the Collins Class Submarines. No day at work is the same, with unique problems requiring timely solutions to ensure we minimise our impact on our customer’s schedules and maintain the safety of all people that interact with the submarine.
What do you like most about working at Babcock?
I enjoy the diverse work offered at Babcock, whether it be theoretical technical analysis, hands-on assessment of components within refurbished assemblies, or the management of various projects undertaken by the team. I’m presented with varied opportunities in terms of further learning through secondments, and formal training provided both locally, and interstate.
How is your role supporting our purpose ‘helping you create a safer, more secure world for us to live in’?
The work that I do within my team at Babcock directly contributes to the safety, operability, and capability of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet of submarines. In turn that allows the Navy to continue to keep the world a safer and more secure world for us to live in.
What motivated/inspired you to become an engineer?
I’ve always enjoyed tinkering with things since I was a child. Early on I developed an obsession with cars, which as I grew older meant buying my own, pulling them apart to learn how things interfaced with each other, to then trying to improve them. I felt this led me to pursuing engineering, and in particular Mechanical Engineering.
What top tip/inspirational advice would you give the younger you or someone starting out in engineering?
The biggest piece of advice I could give is to never turn down a task; you never know where it will take you. Some of my best career opportunities have been due to taking on what I thought would be a minor or trivial task, that then led into further work and responsibility. I’ve also learned to not underestimate my own perspective; just because I can be the least experienced person in the room doesn’t mean I can’t add value. Sometimes all that is needed is a fresh set of eyes and a different perspective to solve a problem.