International Women’s Day Profile – Amy Sheane-Smith

An interview with Amy Sheane-Smith. Amy is part of our Employer of Choice Program and one of our Alumni.

Where are you working now? 

“Multiplex”

What is your role and what activities does your role entail on a daily basis?

“I’m a Construction Manager at Multiplex. My roles range from overseeing live projects, being involved in new business tenders, seeking business development opportunities as well as participation in broader industry initiatives like chairing the Building Equality Committee for the Building Industry Consultative Council.”

What do you like best about your role?

“I love the variety my role affords me and wide range of people I get to interact with on a daily basis.”

What attracted you to your role? 

“Being involved in very large construction projects the change the communities we live in.”

What is most important to you when looking for a job?

“Working with like minded people and being part of a high performing team.”

Tell us about your career journey so far 

“I started as a cadet with Multiplex in my first of studying Applied Science (Construction Management) at RMIT. I progressed through the graduate programme, became a project co-ordinator and then continued on to be a site supervisor and site manager. I then continued on to being a Project Manager and was promoted to Construction Manager 2 years ago. I have been very fortunate to be able to accept opportunities working for Multiplex all over the country and have enjoyed my time working in Queensland, South Australia and regionally in Ararat in Victoria.”

Tell us about the challenges and triumphs you have faces as a female in a male-dominated industry

“Fortunately there has been much positive change over the period of time I have worked in the industry (coming up to 17 years) and my role as the Chair of the Building Equality Committee gives me many opportunities to work collaboratively with the broader industry to continue improving. There have been examples of being treated differently to my male peers throughout my career, particularly when there were even fewer females in the industry than there are today. It has often resulted in me feeling that I have to work that little bit harder than the men to be treated equally – but this is changing and we all have a part to play in accelerating that change.”

If you could say one thing to young females looking to enter the industry – what would it be? 

“The construction industry is an excellent opportunity to be positively challenged, learn and be part of a team. There is no two days that are the same and so many different roles to explore.”

Why should students in school consider your industry as a further study and career option? 

“School students are often not aware of the huge variety of roles available in the construction industry that suit many different interests. It is definitely worthwhile getting involved in opportunities your school might provide to visit a construction site and hear from various individuals what their roles involve.”

What did you enjoy best about your degree? 

“The variety of subjects – one day I was learning about construction technology and the next about contract administration.”

You can connect with Amy on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-sheane-smith-a246b92a/

Thank you for sharing your story with us Amy!

You can share your story here: https://forms.office.com/r/D3yEG8YStt