Hello,[arrowhead]
I’m seeking advice from those of you who are in the development industry, or know something about development firms etc..
This post is quite important to me so please take the time to respond if you can answer my question.
I’m a mining engineer seeking to get out of the mines. 18mths ago i discovered a genuine interest in real estate. I’ve been searching [bike2]for a long time to discover a career i would genuinely enjoy. While i do get a kick out of engineering, the mining industry does have its drawbacks. [sad3] The knowledge that i like RE as much as i do is tremendously valuable for me. Life changing actually. [thumbsup2]
Recently, after much thought, i’ve decided that working for a property developer is the perfect way to blend my past engineering experience (earthmoving, scheduling, budgeting) and my new love [inlove]of real estate. I’m sure i’d realy enjoy it. You gotta be happy doin what you do..
I do fly in fly out, and plan to spend my time off studying at TAFE or wherever, to get a qualification that will see get my foot in the door, on the bottom rung, with a property development firm.
My question is: if you were a property developer, or just know a bit about that side or RE, what would you be looking for in a resume? [dead2] What kind and level courses would you recommend? What qualifications and experience would i need?
All comments sought, and appreciated.
Thanks heaps. [biggrin]
Cabo Wabo
Cabo
Property development is an exciting industry with lots of opportunities. There is of course no school of property development so people come into it from all backgrounds.
Our property devlopment company http://www.metropoleprojects.com.au employs 9 people directly but many of our functions are outsourced as happend with most small developers. We use outside architects, surveyors, town planners, etc.
What would I look for in a new employee? It depends upon what role I am looking to fill.
The first thing I look for is experience – someone who has done it before. Sorry this may not be what you want to hear, but we don’t have the time to train people.
I have 2 sons aged 17 and 15 and suggested that if they wanted to come into the business they would first need to get some qualification. It could be anything that adds to teh business such as architecture, accounting, law, building, town planning or surveying.
To be a good developer you need to be an entrepeneur and have a great amount of self confidence.
Michael Yardney
METROPOLE PROPERTIES
Author of Australia’s leading property e-magazine.
Join over 10,000 readers each month.
FREE subscription http://www.metropole.com.auHey Cabo Wabo,
Off your specific topic…but anyway…
Couldn’t help but notice that you are currently in WA and are a Mining Engineer. Did you go thru WASM in Kal ?? If so – what year ??
You don’t by any chance know any of the following people (Wuss, Junky, Yuk, Corby, Patto, Flan, or Bubba). God knows if any of them are still in the industry. I was Chooka or Bigfoot…depending on how many beers I’d had. We were a culturally sensitive bunch us lads.
Is Muki still teaching Electrical there – or is he dead ??
Cheers,
Dazzling
“No point having a cake if you can’t eat it.”
Thanks Mike for your reply. I appreciate your candidness….Give me the facts of life, not just a rosy picture of what i wanna hear. Got a whole bunch of quetions for u now though…
What kind of roles do your 9 full time employees fill? That is, what kind of role do you not outsource? Is your firm considered to be of standard size? Are there many large firms out there who would not usually outsource. Just trying to get a feel for “the typical development pty”. I’m accustomed to large mining pty’s, so i’m sure that the structure and needs of a developer firm would be quite different.
I’m workin on the entrepeneur bit though..
Dazzling,
Yup, i started at WASM in 94. We were also very culturally sensitive. Raunchies at the foundry, more beers at shaft bar, then dawn at Sly’s. Not to mention buckets. Not sure i know you’re crowd mate, but i do know where you’re comin from..brother. Don’t know a Muki (maybe he is dead) Hey, was Bairdy there when you were there? Now he’s someone i used to wish was dead… opps did i say that?Cabo Wabo
Mike,
Nice web site. The section regarding your team members and their background is particularly interesting. Very helpfull indeed. I’m gonna hunt around and see what other similar web sites are out there.
Cabo Wabo
Hey great. Well done for getting through. Bet you had as much fun as we did.
Our group started in Feb ’90. I pulled out at the end of ’91 and jumped across to Petroleum, but the rest of my mates stayed their and finished 4th yr in Nov ’93, so I suppose they all finished a few months before you started.
Yeah, Bairdy the little Maths Lecturer with a big beard and little blue thongs. The only lecturer I’ve ever met who rolled up in shorts and thongs. As I had a big beard at the time, we sort of got on pretty good. Wouldn’t be able to pass his units now though. Unless the numbers have a dollar sign in front of them nowadays, it sort of washes over the top.
Good luck in your endeavours. Just out of curiosity, why can’t the Mining industry retain it’s personnel ?? Out of my year, 2 out of the 19 are left. The other 17 have moved on….that’s only 12 years out of college. Looks like you are looking for a shift also after 7 years.
Cheers,
Dazzling
“No point having a cake if you can’t eat it.”
Its the lifestyle. Very transient, not much time for family, unless you live in a tiny mining town. I’ve seen a lot of people divorced in the mines. Kal was about as small as i think i could ever handle, so for me, as long as i’m in the mines, its fly in fly out. Moneys good, and you get a lot of responsibility at a young age, so thats good too, but like i said, its the lifestyle. If only all the good deposits were within half an hour of the city. Maybe i should go blow up and mine rottnest or something. [biggrin] Might have to relocate the quokka’s though… Are you still in the petroleum industry?
Cabo Wabo
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