My job: Construction with a female touch

Lucy Melville says the construction industry is becoming more open to women. Photo / Graeme Sedal

Name: Lucy Melville
Age: 25
Qualifications: National Diploma in Quantity Surveying
Employer: Kwanto
Weekly working hours: 40
Salary: Depending on experience, from $40,000 to $180,000

Describe what you do?

A quantity surveyor (QS) is effectively an accountant for construction projects. Some of the main things that make up my working week are:

* Putting together estimates of costs for construction projects, including leaky building remedial work, alterations/additions and new-builds.

* Regularly liaising with contractors, architects, lawyers, remediation specialists and building assessors on site and over the phone.

* Putting together schedules of quantities for construction projects.

* Financially managing jobs throughout the construction process. This involves visiting sites monthly and assessing the costs claimed each month to ensure they are fair and reasonable.

Why is your job important?

It is important for companies carrying out building projects to know the costs of what they are working with and the potential benefits and pitfalls of all options. This ensures they can make well-informed decisions, no matter what size the project is. A QS can help develop a budget and keep the project within it.

Why did you want to be a quantity surveyor?

I was working as a body corporate consultant in London, and one of the blocks of flats we managed was undergoing major works. I monitored the work closely throughout, which meant liaising with the QS, who happened to be a female. I had never even heard of a QS before, but after working with her and learning more about what she did I decided it was something I was keen to pursue. When I got back to New Zealand, I started studying immediately.

There are not many women in your team. Why do you think this is?

Unless they come across a QS, I don't think most people have any idea the career exists. The idea of working in the construction industry had never really crossed my mind, nor was it ever suggested to me as a career option. Women in the industry are becoming more common, however it is still dominated by men. I think if career advisers talked about the roles of a QS or project manager in construction, not just builders or architects, more females might view it as an option.

What qualifications do you need to be a quantity surveyor?

I completed a National Diploma in Quantity Surveying at Unitec. The other option was to do a Bachelor of Construction, majoring in Construction Economics. Unitec offers both, while Massey University offers the degree only.

Brief work history:

I first worked within the industry in London within property management as a body corporate consultant. When I moved back to New Zealand I began working for a large international company specialising in control technologies for commercial projects as a project/contracts administrator. My present job is a QS for Kwanto, a professional QS firm in Auckland.

Describe the main skills you need for the job:

* To be able to think outside the square - when looking at costs for a particular job it's vital to be able to look past the obvious elements, so everything that needs to be considered is included.

* Good ability to work with numbers.

* Good communication skills - we deal with all sorts of different people (builders, lawyers, architects) and the ability to communicate effectively with all of these different groups is crucial.

What's the most challenging part of your role?

Knowledge of construction processes on site. When I started in QS, my understanding of the building process was limited as I had no experience working on site.

Over time my knowledge has increased exponentially, but each job is different and there is always another method of construction to learn. To do our job effectively, we need to be able to envisage how the project will be handled on site - that is when it is vital to communicate with all parties involved with the job so you have a thorough understanding of how they are going to carry out the build.

Sometimes I am treated differently than my male colleagues by men in the industry. This doesn't happen often, but there are still those around who seem to have an old-fashioned view on things - that women shouldn't be working in construction because it's a man's domain.

What parts of the job do you like the most?

I enjoy getting out on site - it's great to see the job coming together first hand.

The variety in my working week is great as it keeps every day different. One day I may work on a monthly progress report for a leaky building remedial job we are financially managing, and the next I may put together an estimate for the renovation of a villa.

What's the most unusual assignment you've had with Kwanto?

We get a variety of jobs coming through, but the most unusual one was when we were asked to be involved with a dinosaur theme park.

Any advice for women considering a similar career?

Don't be put off by the construction industry still being dominated by men - this is changing quickly. If you have an interest in working in construction, look into it further - approach an education provider or someone already in the industry who can give you a better understanding of what is involved and the career options available to both men and women.