Senior Structural Modeller
Name: Elizabeth Cayless
Career stage: Senior - 1o+ years' experience
Working: Office
High School Subjects: 2U Maths, 2U English, 3U Geography, Biology, Computer Skills, General Studies, Religion (complusory) - NOTHING to do with the construction industry!
Favourite: Biology! I find it fascinating and still do!!
Further study: TAFE
where and what: Diploma in Structural Engineering. I aquired an apprenticeship before I finished my HSC.
"I did my own 'work experience' week spending one day at each discipline's office."
the inside scoop…
What does a Senior Structural Modeller actually do?
What does a day in your life at work look like? Arrive in office, turn on computer, make a coffee, open emails, open model I’m currently working, ask my colleagues how they are going today. I carry on with mark ups from the engineers and continue my modelling or producing drawings. I might find some issues or questions I’ve got for the engineer so we chat about that for a bit to resolve. I might get a call from an architect or a mechanical modelling asking for some coordination questions between our models. Working with other disciplines to bring a complete model of a building together is satisfying.
What's the best part of your job? Creating a model and then seeing that be built on site is amazing.
What made you realise construction could be for you? I loved tech drawing at school (in Yr 10) and I was good at it. We were asking in careers week to think about what subjects we needed to choose for Years 11-12. So subjects to help get into uni. I had no idea what I wanted to do and they said think of a subject you enjoy and are decent at. Tech drawing it was! I asked my teacher what job do I get where I can do this? He said “You become a Draftsman”. So then my quest started. I then didn’t realise how many types of draftsman (or Draftsperson, CAD technician, Designer, Modeller, 3D modeler (oh how the job had changed!)) there were! I did my own “work experience” week spending one day at each discipline's office. I of course naturally leaned towards Architectural drafting. Everyone knows what a bed and chair looks like and I was good at knowing what was a plan view and what was a section view. These drawings made sense to me. Structural, mechanical, electrical drawing were boring; just lines & symbols on a page and civil… well aren’t roads and bridges just boring and long? I was advised by a friend of a friend of a friend of the family not to go architectural as you don’t always need an architect but Structural… now that’s a stable discipline! You’ll always need a structural engineer. So I then looked in the paper (yep, no internet or Seek.com back then) for an apprenticeship in structural drafting. I started my apprenticeship 1 week after finishing school before Christmas in 1996. And I’m still here!
Tell us about your journey starting a family whilst working in construction. To be honest this was trickier than I’d anticipated. I knew the industry changes quickly and that I didn’t want to be off work too long or I’d forget how to use the programs. What I wasn’t prepared for was the pressure I put on myself to keep up or “prove” myself when I returned to the workforce. I know that sleep deprivation & the fact that having a family is consuming in all aspects effects how people are productive in a work environment but it actually took me many years to understand that I was in a different phase of my career. My family needs had to come first and not second and this took a while for me to understand and accept. This realisation also came after finding a very supportive network of colleagues. To have that support and understanding in the workplace helped me overcome these feelings and get my confidence back to where it is.
Tell us about a time you made a difference in your work. I like to be helpful and I’m a people pleaser. I love that I can bring different ideas & questions to projects that others may not see. I have pride in my work and I love it when people want me to work on their projects.
Elizabeth is open to engaging further via: Taking a student for work experience, Speaking at a high school, Mentoring a student
If you'd like to enquire more, please email hello@tomorrowswomeninconstruction.com.au with the subject: "Elizabeth Cayless engagement enquiry" and we'll pass your message on.