Yvonne's story

Getting to where I am now has taken a lot of hard work. I was in my early twenties when I entered the industry, got married and had my two boys.

I was a contract administrator, and then I moved into a role where I helped to look after the state's assets. At this stage, I was moving into major site inspections. I loved getting out of the office and on to site.

NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) offered me the opportunity to undertake my Bachelor of Engineering. 

It took me six years to finish a four-year full-time degree while working full-time and raising two children with a lot of support from my husband. Throughout this period, I moved from asset management into project officer roles. Then I moved on to the Pacific Highway upgrade team and worked my way up through the ranks. I did project engineering and a lot of community and stakeholder engagement work.

Over the course of 18 years in NSW government, I worked my way up to the top of my field, as Project Director with Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW).

At that point it felt like the right time to make a change into the contractor side of the industry to learn new skills and gain broader construction industry experience.

I got through it because there was a lot of structure in my life, which we joke about now. I had to plan, including what the family could and couldn't do. We still had holidays and the like, but I was taking study with me. We planned to ensure that there was that balance in life. Of course, there were times when the balance felt like it was not there but having the support of people at work and home made it all possible.

Getting up early in the morning to study was the best time of the day for me. With a family, there were fewer distractions. I was fortunate that I could take study leave from work in the more hectic periods.

After work, it was quite difficult because, as anyone with a family knows, it's the witching hour when you come home, recap the day, organise dinner and many other things, and prepare for the next day.

My husband was really supportive. He’d take the kids out, so I had some time on my own during the weekends.

At the time, you needed a four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree to progress into a project management role with NSW Roads and Maritime Services, and it was the same for many other engineering roles with other organisations. Without it, I was excluded from a range of positions I was interested in.

Things have changed since then because Project Managers don't always have an engineering degree nowadays. There are also different degrees out there for construction management that aren't necessarily engineering degrees.

I think it's important to understand where you want to get to in your career, maybe not necessarily the exact role, but generally. That way, you can better prepare yourself for what’s to come.

You need to be confident in yourself, but you don't have to be overconfident.

The industry has its ebbs and flows, as do many industries, so being resilient and able to adapt and change as needed are important attributes.

The industry continually evolves, so you need to embrace life-long learning.

Forming relationships with your work peers and external stakeholders is extremely important.

We deliver large-scale projects for our clients and communities, so collaboration and teamwork are vital. No one person can do it all on their own.

The industry offers so much to those who join – a wide range of construction projects, a diverse workforce, and many opportunities to grow your career and accomplish your goals.

It’s a satisfying industry to make your mark. You're building infrastructure to make people's lives easier and better.

This is such an exciting time in our industry – there’s a real focus on technology and sustainability. There are renewable energy projects underway and more on the horizon. There are also many technology-driven changes impacting the construction industry and how we work - everything from artificial intelligence to plant and equipment.

If roads, bridges, and buildings are your thing, there’s still plenty of work there. Not to mention the Olympics coming to Brisbane in 2032 and other big events needing their infrastructure, construction is the industry of choice.

Our workforce is also becoming more diverse and representative of the communities in which we operate. The progress in this space is great to see, but there is still a long way to go and we need to maintain focus.

With all of these changes we are creating a much better future for everyone, and I’m inspired by this.

You must be prepared to listen, learn and work hard to progress your career and get the most out of our awesome industry.

It's also important to set some career goals because there are many options and choices to make if you want to advance your career.

If only it were possible, I'd love to go back in time and meet people who have built outstanding infrastructure in the past. I'm talking hundreds and maybe thousands of years ago. I know there are lots of impressive ancient structures and buildings throughout the world, but what inspires me most are the roads the Romans built because they’re still there. So, my wish would be to go back in time and meet Roman road makers!

I've been to the UK and Ireland recently and want to explore more of Europe. There are these buildings from the 1200s and thereabouts that I'd love to take a tour through.

Closer to home, I'd love to go and see what’s on offer in historical Australian infrastructure, where you can go behind the scenes and explore intriguing buildings and sometimes hidden tunnels.

I’ve had challenges – work, study, sports, and more – but I’ve always kept soldiering on. When I think about it, people have said I say “soldier on” a fair bit. I mean, you don't get anywhere without a bit of hard work, do you?