2014 saw MLB introduce our first architect cadet to the team. You quickly realise that when someone walks in the door, looks you in the eye, shakes your hand and says “Hi, I’m keen to get started, I’ve been looking at your logo and I’ve come up with a couple of alternative designs that I think you will find more appealing”, you know you are on to a good thing and that the “kid” has initiative! Cormac was an amazing asset to our team and we are so proud to say that even though he has left for bigger and greener pastures in the city we know that he takes with him all of the knowledge and experience we could pass on. Just like a carpentry apprentice, cadet architects are the future generation of our industry and deserve the commitment and attention necessary to enable them to become capable of amazing future projects. As a builder or construction company, we highly recommend considering the benefits of welcoming a cadet to the team and for anyone looking to study architecture, Cormac has some sound advice…..
I’VE DONE ALL THE DUMB THINGS The Rise of a Cadet- The Quest for Experience
A family friend and formerly long-serving member of the construction industry once passed down an important piece of career advice to me. “Your degree will get you an interview; your experience will get you a job.” At the time I heard this, I was completing the final year of my five year double degree (Bachelor Architecture and Bachelor Construction Management) at the Waterfront Campus of Deakin University, yet despite believing I had a decent grasp of my studies, this statement scared me. Just a week prior to hearing this, I had been interviewing for a number of graduate positions for the following year. What’s a graduate position you might be asking? Well, in the construction industry, it’s an entry-level position at a major firm that hundreds of fellow wide-eyed and blood-thirsty students will fight for. It’s likely that five or so positions (maybe less) will be made available, with one hundred or so qualified applicants eagerly competing for a place. Competition is fierce; the screening process thorough. As the conversation with my family friend continued, I was informed that no matter how well you’ve memorised a company’s history/projects/mottos/services/favourite colour/etc, if your gorgeous-looking resume or grammar-gasmic cover letter has no real industry-based experience, you’d likely be weeded-out of the job race at some point. Needless to say, I was now alarmed. Call it Tertiary Student naivety, or just blissful ignorance, but I was always under the impression that if I kept my grades strong, surely I would be a shoe-in for a job? Perhaps this mentality is formed in High School, when you’re always told, “son, if you do well at school, you can study to be anything you like!” What your teachers or mentors fail to tell you is just how hard it is to land that dream job, when you’re competing with so many like-minded dreamers.
Although I would eventually go-on to finish my Architecture and Construction Management degrees with Distinction and Honours respectively, unfortunately, my family friend’s career advice was ultimately rang true. Many of Lisa Simpson-esque book worms of my Uni, and to a lesser extent I, were ultimately unsuccessful in finding a commercial-level graduate position. Slightly buoyed by the fact I had made it deep into the interviewing process (Top 12-20 for me sadly *sigh*), I needed to find tangible work experience. A common expression you’ll likely hear in your professional life is, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know!” But what if you know your knowledge, but don’t know anyone worth knowing, you know? Well, in my opinion, you’d better meet someone, and you had better do it fast. My first true connection into the construction world (outside of lecturers) came through Michael Limb of Michael Limb Builders. I met Michael, his wife Emily and their flock of children (too many to count), during my time playing football locally for the mighty Queenscliff Coutas. I’d become friends with Mick and Em naturally during my time at Queenscliff and having just missed out on a graduate position, I inquired about potentially joining their expanding business as a Cadet. Having practically completed both my degrees at this point, both Mick and Em agreed to hearing out what I believed I could potentially offer Michael Limb Builders (“MLB”) from a profession point-of-view. I was able to succinctly tell MLB what I was able to do from Day One. I made myself flexible to their requirements and backed it all up with my Academic Transcript. I’d helped create my own position- essentially finding myself a role that hadn’t existed in a boutique home-building company in the process.
If I could pass on any advice to a prospective construction cadet, it would to be flexible. I guess when you get down to it; flexibility is having the courage to say yes to a new experience. Say yes to a slight pay cut if you have to, say yes to a two day a week starting role and, of course, say yes to minor accounting tasks that you really don’t know anything about (…sorry, Emily)- and why do this? Because you’ll effectively fit yourself into an existing business- have the initiative to make yourself irreplaceable. Congratulations- you’ve got your foot in the door and you’re gaining experience. Now it’s time for the dumb questions. It is absolutely astounding how little you’ll know about the finer details of construction when you leave Uni. Yes, undoubtedly your degree serves you well in understanding the overall process and structural requirements of a building but let me ask you this…What’s a common retention amount in an architectural contract? Or what’s the minimum set-back requirement of a timber window from a Kitchen sink? Or what is a standard door width when you’re designing a house? I’ve asked all these questions, many more and many worse because that’s what it takes to learn. (Second tip- make Google your best friend.) Don’t be afraid to ask the dumb things to find answers and develop yourself, if you’re as lucky as I am, you’ll have a set of bosses who won’t laugh in your face…for too long anyways. The trick you’ll undoubtedly need to make it through this slightly embarrassing teething stage is an ability, nay a want, to learn. If you learn from your mistakes, you’ll make less and less and invariably develop as a professional (or human for that matter).
In my own Mr. Miagi inspired lesson, I wish I could virtually throw a wet sponge at you now and say “be the sponge!” You’ll suck at the start, but soak up what you can, and grow (pardon the analogy, but you’ll get my point). Soon you’ll be working full weeks, earning pay rises, and reaching new career heights- for me this came when I had the opportunity to re-design a set of plans for a client of MLB; which we are now in the process of building (awkwardly positioned behind the selfie when at Fix Stage/on my last day). I was extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity, and trust, to begin designing my first house before I’d officially even finished my last University classes. For any architecture student, this has to be one of their grandest career goals and it was happening to me so early with thanks to open-minded clients and MLB. In fact, during 18 months at MLB, I’ve been granted incredible professional opportunities and freedoms- to name a few major ones- I’ve been involved in the estimating, contract administration and co-management of projects ranging from $200K to $1.2M- all huge development stepping stones for any cadet. I currently write this blog as a reflection on my time at Michael Limb Builders because I’m actually moving on next year to a new role in Melbourne. I was offered a Graduate position at a commercial construction firm- but of course, you know about Graduate positions, don’t you? So in the end I eventually clawed my way back into the Melbourne-based position I’d originally hoped for. I managed to do this with hard work, flexibility and an incredible opportunity in a small business.
Although I wouldn’t ever change the way my post-Uni career has developed (thus far), to any would-be architect or construction manager, I’ll simply suggest that you gain any form of experience you can whilst studying- the sooner the better! I owe all of the real experience I’ve been able to add to my resume from the opportunity and training that the team at Michael Limb Builders have given me. I was welcomed into a business, a home and a family and whatever I do professionally from here-on-out, whatever I will ultimately become, they gave me my start and I’ll never forget them for it… although it also probably helped that Mick and I won a football premiership at Queenscliff, so he couldn’t exactly not hire me in the first place! I know I’ll have plenty of more dumb questions to ask in my career, but less than yesterday- that’s the key.
Cormac
Each and every member of our team is valued for their contributions. No matter what level of qualification or experience, everyone has the ability to contribute and to learn from each other. It’s what being a part of a team and facilitating the future generation is all about.
