Provide an overview of all your rotations to date:
What does your typical workday look like?
During Tenders: I start every morning with two espressos. If we are in the middle of a tender, there can be lots of meetings with the team and contractors to discuss strategy and explore innovative construction materials or ways of building which will give us a competitive advantage. When you are close to a submission date you tend to lose track of what day it is as every day becomes a workday and long days become a standard.
Post/Pre-tenders: Not being the one to sit around, I was lucky enough to be given the freedom to write research reports for the Building Division. I spent days at concrete plants, steel facilities and precast plants looking at what they do, and the processes and systems involved.
What has been the most interesting thing about your job?
I have been at John Holland for three years now and I have worked on Green Square Library and Plaza and North West Metro before transitioning into Pre-Contracts. The most interesting party about working here is you are only bound by your own limitations.
I have been on site visits to West Connex where I sat in a road header as it tunnelled, the Sydney Metro Precast facility, Macquarie Park, numerous factories and concrete plants all through self-organised initiatives because I wanted to learn more about the industry. I have also climbed a Tower Crane- they are much higher and scarier than you think.
Working for such a large company opens several doors for you, and if you are passionate and have the drive to learn you will find invitations to other construction sites, and contractor facilities will readily flow your way.
What are the limitations of your role?
In the office, you need previous experience to formulate and imagine the workings of the site and construction methodology to generate VEs and Smarts when talking to contractors and office staff. This then drives your learning.
What is something you wish you knew before you started?
If you keep forgetting someone’s name on site (e.g. a concrete pumpie or dogman), write their name on the back of your helmet with a pen. So next time you forget all you do is take your helmet off and it’ll be there. Once you remember it then just rub it off.
How did you prepare for starting on the Graduate Program?
Having just come off Metro I took some leave before transitioning into the office.