Professional Careers Breakdown
 
Town Planning
Interior Design
Finance
Occupational Health and Safety
Architecture
Drafting
Building Inspector
Surveyor 
Training
Property Development


Town Planning


Town planning integrates land use planning and transportation planning to improve the built, economic and social environments of communities. Regional planning deals with a still larger environment, at a less detailed level.

What do Town Planners do?

  • Plans new housing estates
  • Plans roads
  • Developing urban and rural areas
  • Plan population growth
  • Plan social and environmental needs within the community


Where do Town Planners work?

  • In an office
  • Also a lot of outdoor assessment


What to expect as a Town Planner?

  • Urban design
  • Great people and communication skills
  • Conservation
  • Community engagement
  • Knowledge of zoning
  • Strong finance and budgeting skills

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Interior Design


An interior designer can do a variety of things in the field of design, and considers the needs of the individual or company that hires him or her. Primarily, the interior designer must blend aesthetics, or the look and feel of a place, with functionality and use of a space, and does so in consideration of the available working area, desires, and budget of the client.

What do Interior Designers do?

  • Colour coordination
  • and design
  • Furniture and room layout
  • Visualise different concepts
  • Manage projects

Where do Interior Designers work?

  • Work in an office doing computer based designs
  • Onsite visits
  • Private home renovations
  • Commercial sector

 What to expect as a Interior Designer?

  • Working long hours
  • Working weekends
  • Job satisfaction
  • Eye for detail


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Finance


Financing in the Building Industry can cover those who may be wanting to buy or build a property, to those who wish to develop a property. In the finance sector you are able to work within the commercial banking system or for a broker who liaises with the banks.

What do you do in Finance?

  • Organise quotes and loans for consumers
  • Deal with clients
  • Deal with small and large lending organisations
  • Work with figures


Where do work in Finance?

  • Most of your work is done in a office based environment Some brokers do onsite lending
  • Good mathematical skills
  • Good people and communication skills
  • Able to multitask 
  • Long hours

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Insurance


The building Industry cannot function without the Insurance industry. Every new dwelling built needs to have Warranty Insurance, also people who buy houses need to have home and contents insurance.

What do you do in insurance?

  • Organise quotes for insurance cover
  • Liaise with clients
  • Work with figures
  • Compare quotes between insurance companies

Where do work in Insurance?

  • Most of your work is done in an office based environment

What to expect in Insurance?

  • Mathematical back ground
  • Communication skills
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Work for yourself or as a part of a company
  • Read and understand quotes

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Occupational Health and Safety 


Occupational Health and Safety Officers’ most important role in any job is to identify hazards, assess risks to health and safety from these hazards and implementing processes in the work place to help prevent any accidents from happening.

What does an OH&S Officer do?

  • Organise health and safety programs
  • Give advice on accident prevention
  • Implement safety procedures
  • Identify hazards
  • Promote OH&S regulations
  • Inspect equipment and machinery

Where do you work in OH&S?

  • Office based
  • Onsite
  • Both commercial and domestic sectors

What to expect in OH&S?

  • Good people skills
  • Good communication skills
  • Team player
  • Able to work individually
  • Read and understand new and existing OH&S policies


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Architecture


As well as designing buildings, Architects also oversee building contracts, consult with builders, and conduct inspections. They work to bring together technical knowledge with creative drawing to design the buildings.

What does an Architect do?

  • Prepare sketch drawing
  • Produce detail drawings
  • Apply for pre-approval for building works
  • Decide on specific building materials
  • Monitor and inspect buildings

Where does an Architect work?

  • In an office
  • Onsite
  • Locally and interstate
  • Ability to work overseas

What is expected as an architect?

  • Great flair for design
  • Creativity
  • Problem solving skills
  • Good people and communication skills



Drafting


A draftsperson produces technical drawings such as blueprints of various objects. Most drafting today is done by means of computers, using CAD (Computer Aided Design). They are an integral part of the design process for the Building Industry.

What does an Draftsman do?

  • Technical support for architects
  • Prepare estimates and quantities
  • Work out time frames for a particular job
  • Follow building specifications in the planning stage
  • Abide by local codes and by-laws

Where do Draftsmen work?

  • A lot of time is spent in the office
  • Both domestic and commercial sites
  • Some onsite visits are required

What is expected as a Draftsman?

  • Three dimensional visualisation
  • Good technical drawing skills
  • Patience to produce neat and accurate work
  • Able to do freehand drawings


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Building Inspector


Like Surveyors, Building Inspectors interpret, advise on and enforce regulations and laws controlling building construction.


What does a Building Inspector do?

  • Follow and enforce regulations and laws
  • Advise on potential problems to be avoided
  • Check buildings are being built to the plans
  • Site inspections
  • Inspect existing buildings for assessment

 Where does a Building Inspector work?

  • Commercial building sites
  • Domestic housing
  • Office based work
  • Onsite visits

What is expected of a Building Inspector?
  • Great organisational skills
  • Good problem solving ability
  • Ability to read and interpret plans and drawings


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Surveyor 


Like Building Inspectors, Building Surveyors also interpret, advise on and enforce regulations and laws controlling building construction.

What does a Surveyor do?

  • Advise builders before final lodgement of plans
  • Make sure plans conform with regulations
  • Site inspections to check that the right procedures and materials are being used
  • Forward any building advise needed
  • Issue compliance certificates on completion of a job

Where does a Surveyor work?

  • All over the state
  • In an office
  • A lot of onsite visits

What to expected as a Surveyor?

  • Leadership skills
  • Communication skills
  • Travel
  • Eye for detail
  • Be able to keep informed of new and existing regulations


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Training


With either a trade qualification or a degree, you can complete a Certificate 4 in Training and Assessment. With these qualifications you will be able to train apprentices in a TAFE or people in the Building Industry. Training in the Building Industry is one of the most important components to having a sustainable Industry.


What does a Trainer do?

  • Provides training in a large variety of courses
  • Delivers information in relation to the particular course that is being run

Where does a Trainer work?

  • Trainers work at a Variety of different places and training facilities

What to expected of a Trainer?

  • Must display great communication
  • Long hours
  • Night work
  • Have sound knowledge of the content of the course being delivered
  • Flexible hours



Property Development


A housing developer would buy a large block of land, get it approved for subdivision, liaise a lot with council over the planning, get architects on board, find builders and tradespeople, build away, make deals with real estate agents who can then take care of marketing, sell all the houses. Developers will liaise with most of the people in the Building Industry.


What does a Property Developer do?

  • Builds properties for sale
  • Buys existing property for renovation and sale
  • Researches real estate
  • Buy and sell properties for profit

Where do Property Developers work?

  • Property developers work all over the state and country
  • They would also do a fair bit of office based work

What to expect as a Property Developer?

  • Good research skills
  • Financial risk
  • Financial gain
  • Risk management
  • Knowledge of local laws and planning
  • Good mathematical skills
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Master Builders Association of Victoria
332 Albert Street East Melbourne VIC 3002
GPO Box 544 Melbourne VIC 3001
Phone: (03) 9411 4555 | Fax: (03) 9411 4591