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DAY in the life ... A hard hat, safety glasses and self-confidence are essential career tools for Bobby Day
The tools of the trade
Education, hard work and an easygoing
manner are some of the traits required for
the 'perfect formula', writes Fiona Purdon
SOUTH African Bobby Day
may have worked in five
countries during his 18-year
career in cost control but he
has always adhered to the
same work philosophy.
Day who is senior cost engineer
at the Gold Coast Desalination Plant
at Tugun has had a 100 per cent
success rate with interviews for more
than 10 jobs in his international career.
The 44-year-old believes a combin-
ation of good education, thorough
interview preparation, a strong work
ethic, regular networking and an
easygoing manner is the perfect for-
mula for every job.
He networks almost daily with
colleagues from around the world
because, in the construction industry,
employees move from contract to
contract andjobs rarely last more than
two years.
"The nature of construction is that
once your job is finished, you've got to
find another project," Day says. "I've
been fortunate to have worked in quite
a few different places in the world.
"I really enjoy working on these big
industrial process plants because they
are more complex. You are not just
working on a building but you are
working with mechanical and electri-
cal equipment, it's more challenging
and more interesting."
As an estimator, Day liaises with
architects, engineers and builders on
the design and construction of a
project. He estimates direct costs of
labour, equipment and management
as well as any indirect costs.
Day has effortlessly crossed inter-
Namee Bobby Day
Succ Day Is a feniar cost
engineer for the Gold Coast
Desalination Plant at Tugun.
He. has been-successful in
v l t i h he cry Joe n erv ew.t e as
attended 'abort f0} in a career
-spanning 18 years and five
-: Quoec'1'm Kate anut
national borders and companies and
has found there is a strong network
among English-speaking nations in-
cluding British, Americans, South
Africans and Australians.
He started his career as a quantity
surveyor in South Africa in 1991 before
moving into the heavy industrial area.
He returned to South Africa after a
cost engineering contract in Zim-
babwe and a senior quantity surveying
construction job in Saudi Arabia.
Day permanently left South Africa
in mid-2003 to become a cost engineer
for Network Rail in England.
"The climate lets England down,
especially after 2'V2 years of going to
work in the dark: It's so cold and then
you come home in the dark," he says.
The Days targeted Australia for its
warmer climate and as the best place
to bring up their young family.
Day's dedication to networking paid
off because he had kept in touch with a
company director of his former South
African employers, Kentz, and it was
through him that he found out about a
Thiess job in Queensland.
He says the Thiess interview
which took place via video conference
Ref: 35078553
Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licensed copy
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05/04/2008
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Careers
Region: Brisbane Circulation: 221049
Type: Capital City Daily
Size: 421.78 sq.cms
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Page 1 of 2

2. while he was in England at the end of
2005 was his toughest ever. He had
an early-morning call for the senior
job of quantity surveyor for six
Queensland coal-preparation plants.
"I was being interviewed by four
people the company director,
project manager, the human resource
and business managers on a variety of
different subjects," Day says.
"It was the most nerve-racking
interview I've ever done.
"There was a lot at stake because we
really wanted to move to Australia."
Day says a sound education will
always give you confidence, especially
in an interview.
He achieved a five-year honours
degree in quantity surveying at South
Africa's University of Port Elizabeth,
graduating in 1990.
He says it is important to research
your perspective employers, including
the people who will be your
interviewers.
"Before an interview I set the
parameters in my head (for) what I
want to say. It's good to take on a
different persona depending on who is
interviewing you."
Ref: 35078553
Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licensed copy
Courier Mail
05/04/2008
Page: 4
Careers
Region: Brisbane Circulation: 221049
Type: Capital City Daily
Size: 421.78 sq.cms
MTWTFS-
Page 2 of 2