A career worth coming back to

Maddy grew up surrounded by tradespeople. Her dad, brother, uncles and cousins worked in trades, but the women she saw working were mainly hairdressers and teachers. Those were the careers she considered.

At 16, while she was struggling with school, her dad offered her a job in his painting business. He had secured the painting contract for Crown Towers and needed administrative support. Maddy began in the office before moving onto site.

That experience introduced her to a side of construction she had known little about. Contract administration, estimating and quantity surveying were professional pathways she had not understood or considered. Being on site gave her a chance to discover them through trade work itself. This experience was foundational for Maddy's development in cost management, allowing her to better understand first principle pricing methods, and the challenges associated with delivering the work.

Starting on a large site as a young woman could be intimidating. Maddy remembers getting food before the main break so she would not have to walk through a canteen full of men. She described the discomfort of being young and standing out, rather than an incident of mistreatment.

She shadowed the operations manager, walked the site and attended subcontractor meetings, building her understanding of how trade work fitted together.

Maddy recognises that the family business gave her an opportunity others may not have. She also credits the men who mentored her along the way. Time to learn, someone to shadow and access to site meetings helped her understand the industry. Her dad was especially influential, encouraging her to step beyond her comfort zone. Maddy remembers him pushing her to have discussions relating to contract issues with the head contractor, and for her to develop a strong sense of ownership over her work.

Returning to work after her second child was difficult. Maddy tried shorter days across five days, but a three-hour daily commute, childcare and school routines left little room to recover. Her husband was also working long hours and travelling extensively each day. Maddy described feeling overwhelmed and unsure how she could keep up with her responsibilities, both at work and at home.

When she spoke openly with her directors about how she was feeling, they listened and worked through different options with her, including more flexible working arrangements and time to consider what she needed. Ultimately, Maddy realised that, at that point in her life, stepping away was the right decision.

Importantly, the door remained open. She was encouraged to come back when the time was right.

For a time, Maddy did tendering work for her dad and later took a part-time contracts administration role close to home. When she felt ready to return to construction, she called WT. The opportunity to return was still there.