Q&A with Lara Rofe – Cadet Building Surveyor, Orange City Council
When Lara left school in Western Sydney in 2019, she had a dream of one day hosting Coachella and embarked on an event planning course at university. Five years on and Lara’s career journey has taken a very different path – one that’s lead her to a promising building surveying career in the beautiful Central West region of NSW. Read on to discover what inspired Lara’s change of direction, and what excites her the most about the future.
Q. Can you explain what initially led you to Orange City Council?
A. It’s actually a little random how I got myself here! I’m from Camden in Western Sydney and I graduated high school in 2019. I decided that I wanted to do event management – I had visions of hosting Coachella one day! I had wanted to do a gap year, but the pandemic hit so I thought I may as well start university.
I began at UTS in Sydney doing event management. I did that for six months, however I soon realised it wasn’t for me. My mum kept on reminding me of a family member who works in Gosford in town planning and suggesting that it could be well suited to me. I had absolutely no idea what it was at all – I initially thought it sounded awful and not a career for me.
We were never told about planning or building surveying as a career option in high school, so I did a little bit of research myself and actually liked what I discovered. I thought, alright I’m going to give it a go!
At the same time, I moved with my partner to Forbes. I lived in Forbes for a year and I started a town planning course online. I undertook some work experience in town planning for Forbes Shire Council during that year as well. But I found living in Forbes tough because I’m really a city girl.
I liked the idea of Orange – it’s so beautiful. And, it’s also a bit more of a middle ground size population-wise. So, I found an admin role in the building surveying team here at Orange City Council. I knew through my studies that building surveying was close to town planning so that might be a good place to start. I got that job, and moved to Orange!
Q. You were still studying town planning at that point, what made you decide to change direction?
A. After I’d worked in that admin role for six months, I worked out that I really liked the idea of building surveying. I liked that you have a mixture of work in the office and out on-site. And, because we’re in Orange, as building surveyors we still complete the smaller development applications which I enjoyed too. I liked that you can see the whole construction process from start to finish; you’re involved at every step. So, I decided to put my hand up for work experience. I really believe in doing that – even if you don’t get paid for it. It gives you a foot in the door.
I was coming up to the next semester date and decided I wanted to pursue building surveying as a career. I was accepted into a six-year part-time Bachelor of Building Surveying and Certification course with Central Queensland University. I continued to do work experience and then a position came up for a cadet building surveyor at the end of my six-month admin contract – the timing was perfect.
Orange City Council are now paying for my university degree, I get to work and earn at the same time and I’m guaranteed this position for six years!
Q. Congratulations! How are you finding balancing work and study?
A. It can be extremely stressful to manage the work load, especially when I have assignments due. Luckily, I get four hours a week to study during work hours which is amazing. I’ve set up a routine for myself that I study at home on Wednesday afternoon. I need to be in my own zone to do university work because at work it can get stressful and busy, and I find that’s not the right headspace for me to study effectively.
Q. What has surprised you the most about the role of building surveyors?
A. When I first thought about the role, I thought it would just be complaint handling! That is not at all correct. You get to go out on site, and experience the whole construction process, that’s my favourite part. The role is so broad, I can’t explain just how big it is. I didn’t realise how many standards you need to know in the building code, I will be learning for the rest of my life – but I love that. There is a lot of admin, but we get really good support here. We have three admin people that help with that side of things.
Q. You haven’t come from a construction background. Do you find that challenging?
A. Yes, sometimes. A lot of people come to the role after a career in the construction industry as builders or similar. I have none of that experience so I really am starting from scratch. When you’re learning about the legislation and the building code from the books, you’re just reading it. When you’re out doing inspections that’s when you’re applying it, and it’s not as black and white as they say it is, sometimes it’s grey! That’s when common sense comes in; the building surveyors that have construction experience are able to see things differently. But I’m learning a lot from them and I know that will come to me as well with experience.
Q. What would you say to someone considering a career in Building Surveying?
A. If you’re interested in the building sector, you’ll love it. It’s just so cool that you get to learn about how things are made, and then actually be involved in regulating that as well. It’s not just an inside the office role, you get real variety in your week. When you’re inside the office you’re working with your team and customers to complete assessments – even if you’re not fully accredited. Then you get to go on site and see how it’s going to be built, and assess it against the building code. I think that if you’re willing to work hard and study, you’ll find it really interesting, and challenging as well.
Do you think you are up for the challenge? Check out the Building Surveyor opportunities available right now!
