Greg Roberts is an electrical foreman with experience spanning more than 15 years. His role involves running larger live-power jobs on construction sites. Day-to-day he can be overseeing anything from 4 to 10 electricians and apprentices. He took some time out to tell us a little bit about his career progression.
Never too late
“Believe it or not, I began my career relatively late with an apprenticeship at the age of 30. Before that, I’d worked in retail sales. But the prospects of progressing further were fairly limited there. And the chance of being able to increase my salary significantly was also slim. So I did my research and discovered the money I could earn as a tradesman was very appealing. My move to a new career is one I certainly never regret. What I’d say to anybody contemplating it, is it’s never too late to make the switch. I think anyone with an established work ethic and a grip on life in general will always do well in an apprenticeship.”
Climbing the ladder
“Who most influenced the progression in my career? I’d have to say my direct manager. His encouragement was what made me take on my first foreman role. It meant overseeing the electrical work on the construction of Brooke Street Pier. It’s probably one of the contracts I’m most proud of. It was an opportunity I saw as too good to pass up. Something out of the ordinary and a focal point that would draw attention from Tasmanians and tourists alike. That’s a lot of people seeing the results of my team’s hard work.”
A sense of satisfaction
“I just love guiding jobs through from start to finish and being able to turn the lights on at the end. It gives me a great sense of achievement to be able to stand back and say, ‘we did that’. I get a lot out of building a good team culture from the ground up. It’s my chance to influence other people’s career paths.”
The next chapter
“Just recently, I’ve made the move to the residential side of the business I work for. It’s a completely new challenge and the role is quite different to being site foreman. But it’s one I’m up for. It’s a great example of how my experience of the industry has been full of opportunities to upskill and transition. I’d highly recommend it to anyone as a career.”
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