Meet Sophie PeytonI wanted a career that could combine my interest in cities, people, and infrastructure.

How did your journey from uni to industry unfold?

I studied Urban Planning at the University of Auckland and graduated in May 2024. I had to complete my first two years online due to COVID and that was definitely challenging, but being back on campus later made a big difference. It was great to meet other students and get that in-person uni experience.

When I finished high school, I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do, so I took a gap year to travel. When I came home, my friend talked about Urban Planning, and it sounded like a well-rounded degree with lots of career opportunities. I went to the Open Day and signed up – to be honest, I didn’t fully know what I was getting into at the time!

What kind of work do you do at Aurecon?

I’m a Consultant in the Environment and Planning team and we focus a lot on gaining resource consents for big infrastructure projects. I collaborate closely with my team and also get to work with other specialists across Aurecon and external clients too.

We work on massive transport projects in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and across Aotearoa New Zealand, such as highways, railways and railway stations. As a graduate, I’ve primarily worked on the upgrading of existing railway stations and the establishment of new ones. I’ve also done work on transport infrastructure such as motorways, bridges and culverts.

"It was really cool working through problems with my colleague and seeing the project come together."

One of my favourite projects I’ve worked on is the upgrades to the existing railway station out in West Auckland. We’re currently building a huge tunnel under Auckland CBD, which will allow us to expand stations further out and run more trains. This was the first planning application I worked on and although it was challenging, it was really cool working through problems with my colleague and seeing the project come together.

How do you balance work with life outside of it?

I’ve got heaps of hobbies outside of work that I make sure to make time for throughout the week, and not just on the weekend. From surfing, snowboarding and sailing to camping and going travelling, these activities give me things to look forward to and makes the week feel like it’s not solely about working. I try get to the beach after work for a walk and swim during the summer evenings, or to my social sport games in winter.

I love surfing and feel really fortunate to have the flexibility to start early or wrap up work a bit sooner when the swell’s good. I also love to snowboard – last winter I took a few days off work to enjoy the Queenstown powder.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since joining Aurecon?

How to communicate effectively. For me, that means knowing how to work with people from different teams and disciplines. For example, when I’m writing a report, I often need input from a range of stakeholders, so it’s important to ask the right questions and really understand the technical information they’re sharing.

It’s not just about writing down what they tell you – I need to understand it myself and be able to explain it clearly without using technical jargon.

What’s been the highlight of your experience so far at Aurecon?

One of the highlights was mid-2024 when Limelight, our Early Career Professional Network, organised a series of awesome events for our cohort. It was such a fun time getting to connect, socialise, and build friendships early on. Even now, as we’ve settled into our teams, we still make time to catch up, which has really added to the positive and supportive culture at Aurecon.

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