Celebrating Women In Construction Week
In honour of Women in Construction Week, we want to shine a spotlight on some of our female employees and hear about their experience in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Melisa Opperman, Minor Works Project Manager, Sydney NSW
What does your role entail?
– High level construction scheduling & planning for our large range of clients
– Quoting & tendering
– Architectural Drafting & Design
– Managing large building projects
What does a typical day look like?
There is no typical day as the workspace is so diverse, dynamic, and full of curve balls. A day can include site inspections, drafting, client meetings, managing local council expectations, quoting for tenders, dealing with site crew and trades and anything in between. The best is working with such a great team, plus sending lots of smiley faces via email 😊
“ There is no typical day as the workspace is so diverse, dynamic, and full of curve balls. The best is working with such a great team, plus sending lots of smiley faces via email. 😊 “
How can Construction attract more Female Candidates?
Increasing the awareness of the advantages of flexible workplace arrangements, utilising job share arrangements for staff, females in management, and gender blind, equal pay scales.
What is the best Career Advice you’ve recieved?
Find out what you love doing & work out how to be paid for it.
What is the most rewarding part of your role?
Exceeding client expectations & working in a progressive workplace.
Shade’ Wilmot, National Minor Works Director, Brisbane QLD
What does your role entail? What does a typical day look like?
I manage the all staff within the Minor Works division, who are based in either QLD & NSW. I also run several jobs/programs of my own for various clients. Currently my main project is a rebrand within the Fuels & Convenience sector. This involves ensuring that the onsite teams and myself are managing the clients’ expectations for delivery, budget and HSSE aspects.
What led you to pursue a career in construction?
It was something that I fell into in my early twenties, a friend knew I was looking for a full time job and recommended me for an administration role at a building company.
“No one day is the same, this role always keeps me guessing and constantly learning new skills every day.“
What personal qualities help you succeed in your role?
Organisation & structure. I am a very organised and structured person, some would say a bit OCD, however it has helped me succeed in my roles during my years with Modus.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
No one day is the same. This role always keeps me guessing and constantly learning new skills every day.
Jessica Payne, Electrical Apprentice (1st Year), Sydney NSW
What does your role entail? What does a typical day look like?
Usually an early morning start on site doing anything from lighting upgrades, inspections for future projects or just general maintenance. Literally every day is different!
What made you choose construction as a career?
I like hands on work, being active and problem solving.
“I enjoy working in different places and always working on something different. The team of guys I work with are super supportive and fun to be around, which always makes the work more enjoyable too.“
If you had one piece of advice for women considering construction as a career path, what would it be?
Just give it a go! There are so many areas you can go into and a lot of opportunity to learn different things. Having practical knowledge of how to do things yourself is really satisfying and it’s a fun environment to be in.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
I like getting stuck into things and seeing a physical result from my work, it’s a very satisfying job in that sense! I enjoy working in different places and always working on something different. The team of guys I work with are super supportive and fun to be around, which always makes the work more enjoyable too.
Tara-Lee Arane, Account Manager, Sydney NSW
What does your role entail? What does a typical day look like?
A typical day entails managing a team of five to facilitate reactive and preventative maintenance services involving multiple trades for a national petroleum retailer with a footprint of 500 plus trading sites in a fast paced, multifaceted, time critical environment. The role consists of ongoing support to our client, including monthly reporting as well as internal analysis and streamlining of how our team operates, with a constant focus on maximising efficiency and customer satisfaction.
What led you to pursue a career in construction?
I have always been surrounded by Project Managers, Trade Managers, Procurement Officers and Service Co-ordinators in similar industries and was always interested in listening to their work and fascinated by their roles. Throughout my career I have always enjoyed a challenge and when presented with the opportunity to join the construction industry, it was an easy decision.
What appealed to me, in particular, was the variety of directions your career can take once in this sector, from maintenance to building and personnel management. I also believed it would be the right environment to demonstrate my ability to navigate complex regulations and processes, ensuring my team operates within legal and ethical guidelines while achieving our goals.
“The construction industry has seen exponential growth over the past decade and is the perfect time for more women to get involved.“
What was the most challenging part of entering the construction industry?
Joining the Construction & Maintenance industry meant I had to quickly learn the terminology to communicate efficiently with the trades, some with decades of experience in their fields, as well as process complex scopes of works and how specific systems operate to be able to then relay this knowledge to the team / client.
How do you think construction can attract more female candidates?
The construction industry has seen exponential growth over the past decade and is the perfect time for more women to get involved. The industry would benefit by promoting options for females in predominantly male roles starting at a high school level which would filter into trade apprenticeships or work experience opportunities.
Platforms such as Linkedin draw the right kind of attention to employers like Modus Projects, whose management team is made up of almost 50% female. We need to get the message out to female uni graduates, that the construction industry is a sound and exciting choice that will afford them growth opportunities and diversity that few other industries will.
