What are the best ways to gain experience on large-scale projects?

People might think that you need to work in a particular organisation/sector to get experience working on large-scale projects. In my experience this is not the case. The Engineers I have seen with the most exposure to large-scale projects are the ones who prospect for work and drive change in their organisations. Having a solid understanding of what your business does, coupled with building relationships within the business will ensure you are well placed to be involved with and potentially drive large-scale initiatives and projects.

Identify professionals who have experience in managing or working on large-scale projects and seek their mentorship. Learning from someone with practical experience can significantly accelerate your growth.

Be accountable for one role but don't ever let that stop you from volunteering to shadow different people with different roles at different times.

When I joined my first mega-project that had multi-stakeholders and sophisticated teams, I thought it will be overwhelming. The deadlines were tight and it seemed challenging to make room for learning and experimenting new ideas. I used these two strategies: 1-Streching my role through volunteer. 2-Spending extra time with senior member as an observer. when I took additional roles with other teams I gained a valuable knowledge from "cross-fertilization" of ideas. And I learned useful tactics while observing on spot how team leaders solve problems, debate, plan, and think. I kept a journal to document new terminology or practice and schedule time to read about them and comprehend. Talking to resourceful people was extremely insightful.

Non-profit organizations often undertake large projects and may be in need of volunteers. This can be a fulfilling way to gain experience while contributing to a meaningful cause. If you are already working in a related field, express your interest in taking on more responsibilities or projects of increasing complexity. This gradual approach allows you to build your skills and experience within your current role.

This is the main way I demonstrated my skills before getting the role. It also created strong fellowship from those I was able to work with so they could become colleagues and mentors.

Joining professional organizations related to your field can provide access to resources, job opportunities, and mentorship. Many organizations also host events where you can learn from experienced professionals. Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr often have large projects that require collaboration. While freelancing, you can gain exposure to different industries and project scopes.

Immerse yourself in cross-functional teams on large-scale projects, actively seeking diverse roles to broaden your skill set and perspective. Propose and champion innovative ideas within the project framework, challenging conventional approaches and fostering a culture that encourages experimentation. Set up pilot programs or test initiatives within the project scope, allowing for controlled experimentation and rapid iteration. Embrace failures as learning opportunities, strategically documenting insights to inform future iterations. Through this dynamic approach, you'll not only gain invaluable experience but also contribute to the project's success by fostering a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement.

Look for internships or entry-level positions at companies that handle large-scale projects. This is an excellent way to get your foot in the door and gain real-world experience. Participating in open-source projects allows you to work on real-world, large-scale software with experienced developers. It's a great way to build your skills and collaborate with others in a distributed environment.

Remember, gaining experience is often a gradual process, and a combination of formal education, hands-on projects, and networking can help you make significant strides in your career on large-scale projects.

Expose yourself to new situations. Expose and drive you to unconfortable situation and context. Push your head under the water and get confident on your own resources and energy.