Andrea Fakos reflects on his 10-year career journey since graduating from RMIT as an Electrical and Electronic Engineer in 2016.
“Since graduating from RMIT, my career has been established within the power and energy sector, where I have been fortunate to work across complex industrial and infrastructure environments. After completing my studies, I moved into roles that combined strong technical foundations with increasing customer and project responsibility, allowing me to understand not only how power systems are engineered, but how they are delivered, operated, and maintained in the real world.
Over time, my career evolved into more customer‑facing and strategic roles, where I now work as a Sales Manager and Business Development at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). In this role, I engage closely with utilities, renewables, data centres, mining companies, consultants, and academic partners, supporting protection, automation, and digital solutions for critical power systems. The diversity of projects, from traditional infrastructure to emerging low‑carbon and renewable‑integrated systems, has reinforced the importance of sound engineering principles, clear communication, and collaboration across disciplines.
My RMIT experience played a key role in shaping this journey. The strong emphasis on power systems fundamentals, problem‑solving, and practical application gave me confidence to engage deeply with both technical and commercial stakeholders. Just as importantly, RMIT fostered curiosity and adaptability, skills that have proven essential in an industry undergoing rapid transformation.
Looking back, RMIT provided not just a qualification, but a mindset that continues to guide my career, engineer with integrity, stay grounded in fundamentals, and never stop learning.”
