What inspired you to pursue a career in the construction industry?
Construction is probably something I’ve always had an interest in, maybe from all the hours watching Bob the Builder or time spent in the sandpit with diggers and dump trucks as a child. I also had a ‘cool’ older cousin who was a builder. He helped influence my actual career path.

My mum always pushed me towards a university degree. To me, there were only really two options here, something in sport or construction. After realising the potential opportunities and earning difference between sports science and construction, I had my decision and a Construction Management degree it was.

When did you join Higgins?
I officially started in August 2016 as a Project Coordinator (Cadet). But I unofficially started with Higgins as an unpaid work experience student the September prior. I spent a day on site on site each week during the Hawthorne Cinema project, before progressing to a couple of days a week in the office during my university holidays.

Describe your career journey at Higgins in three words?
Entertaining, challenging and invaluable.

How would you describe the culture at Higgins and where do you fit in?
Higgins culture is great and right now it’s probably close to, if not the best, it’s ever been. In terms of where I fit in, being one of the longer serving employees, I guess probably right in the thick of it.

What do you enjoy most about working at Higgins?
The people, the daily challenges and the opportunity to gain exposure to a diverse array of construction types (something I may not have experienced at another company).

Describe a day life in the life of a Higgins Project Manager?
This is quite hard to answer as most days look very different - something I love about the job. One day you might be out on site or travelling for a project and the next you’ll be in the office working away on the administrative tasks or resolving issues with your project team.

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities/attributes of a Project Manager and how do you cultivate those qualities in your everyday role?
Hard work, determination, honesty, trust and loyalty. As a Project Manager, I like to lead by example - if you aren’t willing to implement it yourself, you can’t expect the rest of the team to follow suit.

In your opinion, what makes a project successful?
Being able to successfully collaborate with all parties involved.

What keeps you motivated during the tougher projects?
Family, mates and the good times. I like to think that no matter how bad it seems, it’s always going to get better … eventually… haha!

What’s a secret talent of yours that people don’t really know about?
Underwater photography. It’s been a long time since I’ve done this but I used to spend a lot of time in the surf behind a lens and got pretty good at Adobe Lightroom.

What’s been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
Fresh & Save Food Warehouse in Hervey Bay for Stockland. This project presented the greatest number of challenges and introduced me to a number of construction works that I’d never experienced before. It was a really humbling experience that revealed where my personal construction knowledge was actually at.

What’s the toughest challenge you’ve encountered and how did you overcome it?
Every job has its challenges; I’ve found the best way to approach an issue is to firstly, make sure you have all the facts straight, and then play the devil’s advocate for every situation, assessing our position as a company to determine the best course of action. That generally involves consulting your own project team, other teams, seeking advice from those that may have experienced similar situations and then putting all that information together to come to a solution.

Every challenge has a solution. How the solution affects each stakeholder vested in the project, from client to consultants and subcontractors, may result in different perceptions. At the end of the day, all you can aim for is to be content with the decision you've made.

Career highlights: what accomplishments are you most proud of?
Starting at Higgins as a work experience student, moving through the ranks to a Project Coordinator, progressing to Contract Administrator and then eventually to Project Manager is something I’m proud of.

I’m lucky to have worked on a tonne of projects across my career but the ones below will always be special.

• North Lakes Taco Bell – my first project as a Contract Administrator
• Fresh & Save Hervey Bay – the first project I dealt with that involved a detailed services design and onerous QFES requirements. I learnt more on this project than any other.
• 10 Browning Street Re-cladding – my first project as a Project Manager

Who’s been your biggest mentor and how have they impacted your career?
I’ve had many great mentors over the years but if I had to narrow it down to just one, Mario Gagliarde our Operations Manager. After working out ‘what it is I actually do here’, he’s taken me under his wing, making it his mission to impart his years of construction knowledge onto me. One of the best pieces of advice he’s given me is to always take advantage of the ‘experience in the room’. If there are three people in the room, each with 20 years of experience, there is 60 years of knowledge there for the taking. From Mario, I’ve learnt not to be afraid to ask questions and how to ‘be a sponge’.

I obviously can’t go without mentioning Nick Raselli, who was good enough to give me a crack after completing work experience. He’s continued to provide me with great opportunities to progress my career.

Think back to your first day at Higgins and compare it to where you are today… what’s the biggest difference?

• The office location - during my tenure, I’ve been through two moves.
• The systems and procedures have come leaps and bounds.
• The retention of staff – more recently the QLD office has been much more stable with less turnover of staff. This is testament to the work of the directors and upper management and the culture now cultivated within the office.

How do you see your career evolving over the next 5 years?
Now that I am a Project Manager, I hope to begin running larger projects and continue honing my management skills. I also look forward to furthering my construction knowledge which will come with time in the chair.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting a career in construction?
Construction isn’t for everyone and it’s definitely not easy, but if you’re willing to put in the work, you will see great rewards.