International Women’s Day Profile – Chanelle Secatore

Where are you working now? 

“Cobild”

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

“My position of Contract Administrator Team Leader sees me supporting the CA cohort within Cobild with all day-to-day functions within their roles as well as facilitating training workshops to develop their skills and knowledge as they progress. I’m also the lead Contract Administrator on a residential project in Melbourne.”

What do you like best about your role?

“The opportunity to work with so many different people every day ranging from trades on site, to our clients and most importantly other Cobildians (employees) within Cobild across the various departments.

The position allows me to remove myself from the desk and work out and about on the construction sites, celebrating the milestones along the way from excavation in the ground, pouring concrete slabs through to installing joinery cabinets, cladding etc. Seeing the final product and looking back and saying ‘I was part of the team that built that’ is awesome.”

“Every day is different which keeps it very exciting and interesting!”

What attracted you to your role? 

“Initially what attracted me was the RMIT school of Property Construction and Project Management. I told my school careers counsellor that I was interested in Property and Construction, and she showed me this course at RMIT. I researched it and thought it looked great so put all 3 courses as my top preferences for university. At the time I didn’t know too much about where I wanted to work in the field but once I started my course in Construction Management I fell in love with the industry.”

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

“The culture of a company is very important to me when looking for a job. I wanted to find somewhere that aligned with my values and somewhere that cared about creating a fun and energetic workplace. Also a company who focuses on self-care and work life balances. Something that is also important is finding a company with the field of construction that interests me. I am interested in high end residential builds, not high-rise apartments in the city so it was important to focus on companies that align with what I am passionate about. I’ve found this with Cobild!”

Tell us about your career journey so far:

“I started my first job as a junior Contract Administrator (CA) when I was 19 and had just completed my first year of university at RMIT. I worked at that company for 6 years and completed my studies whilst working. At that company I worked in a couple of different areas, as a Junior CA and Estimator and then once I had finished university, I became a CA. Working whilst at university was tough, but it was great exposure and experience and really helped me to understand my course better.”

“After 6 years at this company, I felt it was time to experience the industry at another company which is when I submitted my resume to Cobild. I have now been with the company for over 4 years and have loved every moment of my time there.”

“During my time in the industry, I had been confused about my career path and if it was a Project Manager that I wanted to become. In the past 2-3 years I was having a tough time deciding what path I wanted to take thinking PM was the only path I should take. What I didn’t realise is that there are so many different paths we can take in this industry! I slowly started taking on some extra work with the Contract Administration team, doing team trainings, running team meetings, working on more efficient ways we can work to hit our KPIs etc. This led me to realise that I am very passionate about our CA team and the commercial decisions of the company. From there I worked with our People & Culture team on creating a new role and have now become the Team Leader of the Contract Administration cohort with a team of 19.”

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

“In the first meeting I ever ran with a Subcontractor, I asked the trade questions and he faced my Project Manager and answered the question to him. I asked him a second question and again he didn’t respond to me. That was a challenge that I had to overcome, especially being the first meeting I ran where I was nervous and then got shutdown. I used experiences like these to make me stronger. Now when in meetings I talk more confidently and if anyone was ignoring me, I would speak up and raise it.”

“At times it can be hard to gain respect. It has felt on occasion that external stakeholders such as Subcontractors and Clients, don’t take me as seriously as they should. One time a trade was trying to put me down and asked me if I was on school experience, knowing I was the CA on the project. These trials only made me stronger and drove my passion for equality and respect for woman in the construction industry.”

“Confidence is so important, no matter what you’re doing. I back myself in whatever decision I make. This hasn’t always been the case but over time through experiences, I have really grown and believe in myself and what I do. I’ve successfully completed 10 plus projects and become the Contract Administrator Team Leader because of this.”

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

“My top tips are to, back yourself and be confident. Ask questions, be a sponge with information, soak it all in and learn as much as you can. Imposter syndrome is a thing, research it and beat it down!”

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

“There are so many different career and role opportunities in this industry, you aren’t stuck in one role for your whole career, and you can diversify. Remember, it is a fast paced and an exciting industry. Every day is different, so you’ll never get bored, but be prepared to work hard!”

What did you enjoy best about your degree?

“I loved the social aspect to the course, forming strong friendships along the journey. I also loved the practical subjects where we learnt about construction methodology.”

Is there anything else you would like to share?

“If you’re currently researching workplaces, check out Cobild. It’s a seriously inclusive, passionate bunch of industry professionals that truly love what they do!”

You can connect with Chanelle on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanelle-secatore-88a08b104/

Thank you for sharing your story with us Chanelle!