Project Manager at Johnstaff at Johnstaff
Who is Johnstaff? What is your position?
My Employer is an employee-owned consultancy firm that works with Government Organisations and Businesses to offer services in Project Management, Construction, Advisory and Cost Management.
My role within Johnstaff is to work as a Project Engineer working on the $400m Blacktown Hospital redevelopment which is due for completion towards the end of 2019.
I work in a team of 7 people from Johnstaff in the delivery of the hospital which includes contract administration, project management, cost reporting, workplace health and safety and various other day to day tasks that require the project to be completed on time and on budget. We work closely with the client and contractor to deliver the best possible outcome for the community and the government.
What's your background?
I’m originally from a town called Mount Manganui in New Zealand where I stayed until I left to study in Auckland. I studied a Diploma of Marine Technology which is essentially the design of yachts. I have had a few different careers in my life from playing in a band, working in bars and restaurants, driving trucks, running logistics companies but I never really knew what I wanted to do as a career up until starting with Johnstaff nearly 2 years ago.
I joined Johnstaff with no experience in project management but with an attitude to learn and work hard and to improve myself every day. Since starting nearly 2 years ago I have learned a multitude of new skills, and I have only just scratched the surface of the construction industry. I am looking forward to developing those skills and working within a variety of different sectors and projects.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Absolutely. It is a “people” industry. If we open our minds to learning from people that are in the position we want to be in, we can do whatever we want. It will take hard work, but it is completely gratifying.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is the progression of the project – how we get to the next step. There isn’t a universal way of doing this, and that keeps it exciting. Also, dealing with experts in the medical industry is fascinating. I am lucky enough to work on a huge public project, and knowing when the project is complete that it will be used by the community is awesome!
What are the limitations of your job?
Limitations of this job unfortunately is having to deal with people. There are a lot of strong personalities in this industry which a lot of the time isn’t justified. It can take a bit of practice to let some persons “throw away” comment to roll off your back.
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