This presentation shared insights from the first two years of Esther Clement’s (SRK Consulting) and Kendall Monley’s (WSP) careers as early‑career tailings engineers, with a focus on how fieldwork and shadowing mentors shaped their professional development. Hands-on field assignments, including geotechnical drilling and construction quality assurance, provided valuable context beyond technical training. In‑person office interactions with senior staff contributed to their growth by enabling informal learning and building strong team relationships. Through these experiences, they observed that early exposure to both fieldwork and workplace environments played a critical role in preparing junior engineers. They closed by inviting discussion on approaches for prioritizing in‑person experiences for the next generation of tailings professionals.
