When I first got into construction it was because I hated doing anything that involved logistics and organisation. I remember being in high school and being one of the most disorganised students ever. I’ve since realised that I wasn’t organised because I was bored. As I’ve been working in construction and moving my way up I have to actively improve my organisational skills. It started off with minor changes such as becoming better at invoicing and planning my time. Slowly I started taking on more and more responsibilities in the construction domain and am less about working hammer to nail, and am more about the planning of things. For example, it is my job to ensure we have all these necessary materials to complete the structures we need to build. If I incorrectly project what we need, it can result in a project being on hold for months. While doing this, I have developed good working relationships with various suppliers and workers. I searched high and low for reliable Melbourne based steel fabricators and now have found a few who I know that will always perform the job at hand well.

In this position, I’ve become better at ordering supplies and assigning workers to jobs. This skill has developed by a lot of trial and error, but now I am much better at accurately estimating the materials that will be needed for a job. I remember when I first started in this role there was a residential construction job and I had filled out the timber order incorrectly. I ordered less than what we needed and this resulted in us having to stall our work. Now I’m an expert at correctly ordering the right amount of timber and steel products. Melbourne is a fast-paced city that doesn’t work well on standstill. Any mistake you make in the development of a building or structure can ruin the launch plans of a business or the moving in date of a family that is relying on you. Things can get stressful, but I can take it.