The first encyclopedia that captured the attention of many curious kids was the aptly named reference tome The Big Book of Knowledge.
Yiana remembers her copy well, and especially the back–to–back pages that fascinated her most.
“Every time I’d open the book to the space shuttle, and there’d be a submarine right next to it,” she said. “I still have it, and it’s still creased to the same page.”
As an adult, outer space remains an item still to be ticked off on her to–do list. But the oceanic depths are today a part of everyday life for Yiana, who has been an Electronics Engineer Submariner in the Royal Australian Navy since she joined in 2018.
In this position, she is deployed on missions both at sea and ashore.
Project management plus
Despite her youthful interest in submarines, Yiana didn’t begin her career intending to go to sea.
Her engineering degree focused on civil and structural engineering, and she started her career in the construction industry as a site engineer working on major infrastructure projects in her home state of New South Wales.
“But in the back of my mind, I knew I’d always wanted to join the Australian Defence Force,” Yiana said. “I remember one day thinking: Am I going to do it or not? So I thought about it and I gave myself 12 months. I marked 12 months from that day in my calendar, and if I was still thinking about it in 12 months, then I’d do it.”
Precisely one year later, Yiana started her application to be in the Navy. Surprisingly, working on a submarine was not too dissimilar from working on a
construction site.
“I look at my job in the Navy as project management,” she said. “As a project manager you can manage many projects the same way. The equipment is just a bit cooler.”
And the work dynamics are familiar too, she said, except instead of supervising a foreman, leading hands and labourers, she’s a Lieutenant working with fellow Lieutenants, Petty Officers and Sailors.
“I noticed pretty quickly that I did enjoy being in the Navy,” Yiana said. “I enjoy the structure, and I enjoy the military work that you don’t usually do in a civilian job. And I think the people that you meet become a family.”
Diving deep
Yiana mentioned that the training was absolutely fantastic, and that she was
supported by Navy throughout the process. She had the opportunity to learn on the job, and she describes the moment she earned her Submariner qualification – known as “Dolphins” – as a career highlight.
“That was one of the big highlights for me, considering the amount of work that you put in to be able to be a Submariner,” she said. “Another highlight would be that, through my training, I was able to dive and surface the submarines.”
Yiana’s day–to–day life as the engineer on the submarine sees her responsible for the vessel’s maintenance and repair, encompassing everything from communications, sonar, combat system, navigation suite and weapons.
“I have a team of technicians in my department and we’re responsible for making sure that we’re conducting the correct maintenance. As the engineer, I assess risk, and that assessment goes to the Captain.”
While at sea, her life also includes a rotation of e–books, downloaded movies and exercise to enjoy in her spare time. While on a Submarine, Yiana said she gets into a rhythm quickly and often forgets that she’s underwater.
She also spends a lot of time with her tightknit team, who often participate in fitness challenges together, and by the end become like family. Yiana said that, when she’s ashore, her days are surprisingly normal.
“It’s a 7:30 am to 4:15 pm job,” she said. “The work life balance is great, and the benefits that you get in the Navy are extraordinary.”
Those benefits include housing assistance and 16.4 per cent superannuation on top of a great salary from day one. She also receives free medical and dental coverage, including for Yiana’s sporting pursuits, which include regular hockey games.
“I’ve had a few sports injuries from playing sport, and I’ve not had to wait at all for any doctors or tests or scans,” she said. “It’s the way that I make friends in new areas. I made a few friends through hockey when I was in Melbourne and Sydney and now here in Perth.”
Another benefit is study: Yiana is currently studying for a master’s degree, and the Navy is paying the full cost.
