What's your job about?

Mainbrace is a retail builder specialising in projects from retail fit-outs through to entire shopping centres. As a Contracts Administrator (CA) I am responsible for tendering, signing and administrating subcontractors from a financial and quality perspective. As a teenager, I didn’t understand what a CA did. I always thought I would be standing around pointing fingers!

What's your background?

I grew up in Sydney’s Hills district going to school on Sydney’s North Shore. The majority of my schooling life revolved around rugby. After school, I left Sydney for the UK to play rugby and work in a school as a rugby coach. After I returned to Sydney I enrolled at UWS (University of Western Sydney – Bachelor of Construction Management). I struggled with the volume lectures and tutorials and ended up leaving UWS to try my hand at Real Estate. That lasted 12 months before I returned to Construction Management, this time via correspondence at the University of Newcastle. Not long after that I got my first job in the industry with Mainbrace Constructions and the rest is history.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

I believe anyone from any background can become a Contracts Administrator- they would just have to love a fast paced and sometimes intense industry!

What's the coolest thing about your job?

The best part about being a CA/Grad is seeing the completed project. In many cases, you only see the planning and paperwork side of a job. Once you see where all your hard work has gone it pays off tenfold!

What are the limitations of your job?

There are two sides to every coin. Being a Contracts Administrator is great but working in the construction industry comes with very long hours.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

Stay motivated at university - get into it and just get it done. There are much brighter horizons on the other side!