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Brooke James

from Beauty Therapist to Construction Coordinator
I collaborate with stakeholders to plan and manage the budgets and timelines of works for construction projects
Industry
Construction and infrastructure
Company
BMD
Job Level
Mid
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Ask me about

  • What I love about working in construction
  • The tools I used to pick a career (when I was feeling nervous)
  • What it's like working on large project sites

About me

I am a Construction Coordinator in Civil Construction.

When I left school, I was like many others in my year and didn’t quite know what I wanted to do next. After many conversations with my parents, we thought I’d enjoy being a beauty therapist, so I went and completed a Diploma in Beauty Therapy. I worked in the industry for 2 years and did enjoy it, but it wasn’t a passion.

From there I travelled overseas twice and moved through a job in a Physiotherapy Clinic as a Practice Manager and then at the Commonwealth Games in Queensland as Fleet Coordinator.

All the roles I worked in I always gave 110% and was rewarded or progressed but I found myself still searching. Once I moved back from Queensland to Melbourne, I landed a job in Construction, working in an Administration role. I worked in Construction in mainly Administration roles such as Office Management and Executive Assistant, before moving into a Construction Advisor role alongside other engineers and have now completed a Diploma of Project Management.

Never in my dreams, did I think I would be working as an Engineer without studying at university, especially since I didn’t even know what engineering was in high school or that I would one day absolutely love it!

About my role

  • Confident
  • Optimistic
  • Passionate
  • Practical
  • Reliable

During a day a Construction Coordinator is responsible for:

  • Liaise with Project Manager, Clients, Superintendents and Council Representatives
  • Review and follow drawings and specifications for to complete the project to design.
  • Ensure safety and quality requirements are followed on site daily
  • Problem solving of issues that arise on site
  • Review programs for upcoming works and confirm we are on time with our works.
  • Complete forecasting of costs and ensure we are within budget
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Education

  • Diploma of Beauty Therapy
  • Diploma of Project Management

Subjects

  • General Mathematics (Maths A)
  • Legal Studies
  • Physical Education
  • Psychology

Awards

  • BMD National Excellence Award Nominee 2022
  • Frontline Excellence Award 2017

Hobbies

  • Beach adventures
  • Running
  • Seeing family and friends

15 year old me!!

“Don’t worry about what others are doing, do what makes you happy and give it 100%. And if you’re not sure, that is OKAY! ”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Started as a Beauty Therapist
  2. Travelled overseas
  3. Moved from QLD to Melbourne, got my first job in construction
  4. Completed a Diploma of Project Management
  5. Became a Construction Advisor

My employer

BMD is Australia's leading integrated engineering, construction and urban development business. Over a 44-year history, BMD has grown to become a $2 billion operation now sharing our expertise internationally in the Philippines and the United Kingdom. With a commitment to long-term relationships and collaborative contracting setting it apart and through a team of over 2000 skilled professionals, BMD delivers innovative and comprehensive solutions across civil construction, engineering design, residential and industrial land development, project management consultancy, landscape construction and maintenance and building construction.