Rajesh Bilur

Bachelor of Construction

India

Rajesh Bilur says OPAIC provided him with technical expertise, soft skills, and tools to get ready to work in his chosen industry.

Rajesh came to New Zealand from Surat, India, fresh out of high school in 2019. He says he’d heard about our incredible beaches, beautiful landscapes, pleasant weather, and multicultural society.

“All this packed into one nation drew my strong interest to explore it.”

Rajesh says he’s always been fascinated by infrastructure projects across the globe and how crucial construction is to human life.

He was excited to learn New Zealand is home to the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest structure – the 300-meter Sky Tower located right here in Auckland and offering amazing views.

“As the construction industry is one of the booming industries in the country, I saw an immense opportunity present in the sector.”

Rajesh started looking for a good education provider and saw that OPAIC was a well-regarded polytechnic offering the Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying).

“This programme had all the learning outcomes that would give me a detailed understanding of the construction industry from a business perspective, and I decided to enrol.”

His classes started during a Covid-19 lockdown period and he was worried it would be difficult to understand such technical courses via online sessions.

“But the OPAIC team made sure the entire process was easy. My tutors helped me a lot, and they made sure I learned well by having different class activities and group chats and giving relevant examples from real life that made learning fun and interesting,” he says.  

He soon began to gain confidence and understand his capabilities.

“Thanks to the wonderful teachers I had throughout my time as an OPAIC student, I was able to progress through the learning process with ease.”

As well as providing technical knowledge, OPAIC helped him develop the soft skills required in the construction industry, he says.

“Moreover, OPAIC regularly conducted guest sessions where industry experts and stakeholders were welcome to share their opinions and experiences that provided an understanding of the industry from the perspective of an expert.”

Rajesh got a job as a Junior Quantity Surveyor at a well-recognised Earthworks & Drainage company in Auckland during the last year of his studies.

He says OPAIC assisted him to create his CV and prepare for interviews.

“This helped me to crack my interview and to get on board.”

He was nervous about entering the industry but soon realised all his study had been based on real-life scenarios and examples and he was already familiar with tools used in the industry.

Another aspect of student life that Rajesh enjoyed was the cultural festivals on campus that connected students to people from various cultures, languages, nationalities, and origins.

“During this journey, I have come across good friends from different parts of the world and I will remember them for a lifetime,” he says.

Rajesh’s advice to current and future students is to trust and enjoy the learning process and to get involved in the various activities and workshops offered on campus.

“I would like to thank OPAIC for giving me this wonderful experience and education, I’m taking away some amazing memories and lifelong friends.”