Scott Thomas
Bachelor of Environments: Construction

I chose the Bachelor of Environments because I wanted to study Civil Engineering originally, and this was the new pathway through the Melbourne Model.

I decided to major in construction because I wanted to work in the same industry as civil engineering, however I was more interested in the financial/managerial side of the industry, rather than the design side.

My favourite subjects within my major was our capstone project planning studio. Everything we had studied previously came together (structural systems, cost planning, project management), we were treated like colleagues by supportive staff and I was able to work closely with a fantastic team. I enjoyed the chance to study other areas of the building industry also, especially architectural history.

To me, studying at the University of Melbourne meant the chance to study in the ultimate academic environment; great staff, great sense of history and tradition, great facilities and the knowledge that the university brand would stand me in good stead.

My advice to new students is create options for yourself.

I am looking forward to commencing graduate study at the University of Melbourne.

The BEnvs helped prepare me for the industry! I wasn’t sure when starting my current job exactly how well prepared I would be for the industry. I have been very happy with how well prepared I was. Every major area of study has been relevant and I has been used daily in my work; quantity surveying, contract administration, structural systems, project planning software and even property knowledge gained through Environments electives.

SCOTT IS NOW WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY

What do you do? I am a Contract Administrator at Commercial Control Pty. Ltd.

How did you find your job? I found my job through a friend who had held my current position for a number of years and was moving on to pursue his interests in the legal industry.

Recently I have been working on a number of tenders for the company; medium scale commercial and large scale residential projects. My role has been a combination of quantity surveying and contract administration work.

What inspires you at work? Submitting a tender, the culmination of several weeks work focused on a single project.

The future of the industry seems very strong from a graduate perspective. There seems to be high demand for construction graduates in an industry which itself has fantastic growth prospects (both domestic and international).

My greatest achievement so far is the amount I have learned in the short time I’ve been in the industry.