Executive Director
Name: Dene Mason
Career stage: Senior - 10+ years' experience
Working: Office, remote working
High School Subjects: English, Economics, Modern History, Study of Religion, Speech & Drama, Film & TV Studies, and a spare
Favourite: Hard call. I was kind of nerdy and mostly liked all of them. If I tied it together in nutshell, I'd say I liked understanding how humans work through a variety of different lenses
Further study: University
where and what: I did most of a Bachelor of Business - Communications before dropping out to go travelling. I completed a Post Grad Diploma in Creative Writing at the University of the Sunshine. And various short courses across a range of disciplines since
It's an industry that has a lot of longevity (the world will always need new things to be built) but you don't have to get pigeon-holed into one kind of role for your whole career. There's lots of room to move and grow.”
THE INSIDE SCOOP…
What does an Executive Director actually do? NexGen is a not-for-profit organization focused on attracting the next generation to what we think is a pretty amazing industry. We believe the construction industry of the future needs to better reflect all of the different kinds of people who move through the built environment. We're starting with school programs to inspire more girls to enter the industry and grow into the next generation of industry leaders.
What does a day in your life at work look like? I work in the office 3 days a week and work from home on the other 2 days, and I love that mix. I get to meet with interesting people from all kinds of companies across construction to coordinate different ways we can work together. I coordinate school visits, recruit and onboard volunteer Ambassadors, create content, and organize events. Since we're a non-profit I also work on grants, sponsorships and brand partnerships to make sure we maintain funding.
What's the best part of your job? 15 year old me would be thrilled that I get to make an impact for the next generation. She'd also be amazed at how many inspirational women (and men!) she gets to meet with and collaborate with every day.
What made you realise construction could be for you? I fell into it somewhat by accident. I did some freelance writing for a large construction company and was amazed by how creative and interesting both the project and the people building them were. What started as a 3month contract has now been 10+ years working in Marketing & Communications, Operations, Innovation & Digital Transformation, and Stakeholder Management.
What would you tell your high school self about working in construction? I'd tell my high school self how much money you can make in construction :) And that you'll never be bored. Whatever you are interested in, there will be a role in construction where you can get paid to use those skills. It's an industry has a lot of longevity (the world will always need new things to be built) but you don't have to get pigeon-holed into one kind of role for your whole career. There's lots of room to move and grow. There is also something really satisfying about working in an industry where you really get to see the tangible results of your work. The thrill of walking past or through something you've played a part in creating never gets dull.
What's something that surprised you about working in construction? I was surprised about how creative construction is. Before I joined the industry, I thought of construction as dusty/dirty, and that it must be a kind of boring linear process. I had no idea how much creative problem solving there is e.g. co-ordinating all of the different people that need to work on a project, solving buildability issues, exploring new materials, innovating around new ways of building, and all of the opportunities to keep improving things with digital technology.
Do you have any advice for young women picking a career? Well of course I'd say, 'pick construction!' There are so many different roles and opportunities to keep growing your career. I'd think more about the kind of skills you want to develop and then let that help you choose the kind of roles and businesses you want to work in.
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