Seven years ago, Carlos Avila was a barista in a new country, learning a new language, building a new life from scratch. Today, he is a Senior Designer at EPEC Group helping shape Australia’s solar future. What happened in between is a story worth telling.
Carlos arrived in Australia from Colombia without a clear plan – but with a strong work ethic and a willingness to make the most of any opportunity that came his way.
Starting fresh in a new country isn’t easy. With no job and no network, Carlos focused on what he could control. He enrolled in civil engineering, picked up work as a barista, and set himself a simple goal: learn English and build a life in Australia.
Even then, he was thinking ahead.
If I could get good at talking to people in English, I thought maybe the right opportunity would come.
That mindset, staying open, working hard, and backing himself became the foundation for everything that followed.
As it turned out, the opportunity he was hoping for was closer than he expected. The café Carlos worked at was just around the corner from EPEC’s old office. What started as a few regular customers quickly turned into familiar faces, and over time, conversations began to build.
As those interactions became more regular, Carlos grew curious about what the team actually did and researched EPEC Group. While electrical engineering wasn’t his background, he was actively looking for ways his own skills might be relevant.
One detail stood out, they used AutoCAD, a tool he had already spent years working with during his time as an architect in Colombia.
That’s when something shifted.
Instead of seeing EPEC as just customers, he began to see a potential pathway.
He didn’t wait for the right moment, he created it. Carlos introduced himself properly, shared his background, and made it clear he was willing to start wherever he needed to in order to prove himself. He wasn’t focused on titles or roles — just the opportunity to get in and show what he could do.
At EPEC, that kind of initiative matters. Over the following months, those conversations continued and gradually building into something more. Then one Friday, the opportunity finally came: an interview the following Monday, with a request to bring his laptop along for a practical trial.
There was just one problem though, he didn’t have a laptop.
For Carlos, though, it wasn’t really a decision.
I finished my shift and went straight out to buy one. I wasn’t going to miss out on this opportunity just because I didn’t have a laptop.
It was a small moment, but a defining one backing himself and committing fully, before he even knew the outcome.
By Monday, he was ready. The interview quickly became more than just a conversation: it was a real test of how he thought, how he approached problems, and how willing he was to learn.
It made an impression.
Within days, he was asked to return, and not long after, Carlos stepped away from the café and into a completely new career.
He joined EPEC as a drafter which was a starting point he fully embraced. From day one, he focused on learning as much as possible, building strong technical foundations and taking every opportunity to improve. Working closely with Phil Gold, he developed his understanding of substation design in a hands-on environment where attention to detail really mattered.
That early period made a huge difference. I wasn’t just learning — I was really building my skills.
That mindset carried through into everything that followed. What stood out wasn’t just his technical growth, but the consistency in how he approached his work steady, committed, and always looking to improve.
Over time, that effort translated into real progression. As the company grew and projects became more complex, Carlos grew with them moving from drafter to designer, and now into his role as Senior Designer.
Today, he works across solar farm projects, contributing to substation design from early concept through to construction. It’s a role that reflects both his capability and the trust he has built over time.
You spend months designing something on a screen — making decisions and refining every detail. Then you go to site, and it’s real. That’s the best part.
When Carlos first joined, EPEC was a team of around 24 people. Today, it has grown to nearly 200 and throughout that time, he has been part of that journey. Contributing across a wide range of projects, he has helped shape not only the work delivered, but also the growth of the team around him.
But beyond the projects, it’s the people that have made the biggest impact. Being far from his family in Colombia, Carlos found something he hadn’t expected, a genuine sense of belonging.
I remember saying to Michael, I didn’t even realise I needed this until I was here.
Even as EPEC has grown, that sense of support and willingness to help each other has remained. It’s something Carlos experienced from his very first day and something he now carries forward.
For anyone starting out, his advice is simple:
Don’t underestimate yourself. There’s always someone out there willing to help.
Carlos’s story didn’t follow a plan, it followed a mindset. From arriving in a new country try with nothing but determination, to becoming a trusted Senior Designer working on some of EPEC’s most complex projects, every step was built on hard work, initiative, and a willingness to back himself when it mattered.
That’s not just a great individual story; it’s a reflection of what’s possible when the right person finds the right environment and chooses to make the most out of it.
We’re proud to have Carlos as part of the EPEC team.
