Grad Life at Probuild

Hi, I’m Katrina Hobman and I’m currently working as an Undergraduate at Probuild whilst I am completing my last semester at uni. Soon I will be moving into a Graduate role here where I will be put through a rotation of learning modules through the business where I’ll get to learn more about the construction business and other project delivery roles (Site Coordination, Contract Administration, Design Management, Head Office/Estimating & Leadership). At the end of the program, we get to choose a stream to begin a career in!
 

What I love about my role is...

At the moment I am based on-site with the project delivery and supervision team on a 40-storey office tower in the CBD. Being on site, no two days are the same. There is so much variety in my day at work and the people that I work with (Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Site Supervisors, Contract Administrators & many different subbies from all walks of the industry). 

Although the hours in this industry can be demanding, they are very rewarding. Being on site and so close to where the all action is, you are able to see day-to-day progression, effectively learning on the front line of construction and celebrating key milestones with the team as we hit them. The culture of working on site with Probuild is unreal. The Graduates all get along really well, you get to know graduates from other sites also and it is not the sort of environment where people just come into work and then go home. Often they catch up outside of work to go to the footy or just hang out. I don’t think you get that everywhere.
 

I’m passionate about this industry because... 

I have always had a passion for the building industry as I feel as though you get to create structures that humans will get to enjoy for the next 50 years or so (even long after we have left site, it becomes someone else’s space to transform and make a home or in this case a workplace!). It is my dream to be able to walk down the streets of Melbourne and be able to pick out a physical representation of my hard work and say ‘hey, I was apart of that!’. Being able to influence and shape Melbourne’s skyline is exciting!

My best piece of advice for students and graduates is... 

I know that the recruitment process for landing a grad role can be terrifying – the video interviews, the assessment centres/group interviews, psychometric/IQ testing, panel interviews, on-on one’s… can be overwhelming. I encourage students to try to relax and actually enjoy the process rather than letting the pressure get to you (which I know may sound impossible!). It is okay to go to an assessment centre and feel like you stuffed it up. So what? It’s just apart of the learning process. When you finally get to the point of not letting stress get in your way, I think you’re better able to sell yourself and show off the best and REAL YOU which employers want.