{"id":32082,"date":"2026-09-10T13:48:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T05:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=advice&p=32082"},"modified":"2026-09-10T13:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T05:48:21","slug":"in-your-curtin-universe-you-could-start-your-career-before-you-graduate","status":"publish","type":"advice","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/advice\/in-your-curtin-universe-you-could-start-your-career-before-you-graduate\/","title":{"rendered":"In your Curtin Universe,\u00a0you\u00a0could\u00a0start your\u00a0career before\u00a0you graduate\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Curtin construction management student Nathan Moore is heading into his final semester with more than three years of industry experience. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he\u2019s not the only one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think about 80% of the students in my course are working in construction at the same time as studying,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students start connecting with industry just weeks into the degree, Nathan explains, developing their professional network and accessing hands-on opportunities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I graduate at the end of the year and I get my first real job, I can say, \u2018Here’s my degree, but here’s also three and a half years of experience,\u2019\u201d he smiles.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s hugely significant. You’re on a different level in what you’re offering straight out of uni, which makes you so much more valuable to employers.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience that changed everything <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nathan\u2019s first job came weeks into his construction degree<\/a> \u2013 through a connection he made on a Curtin site visit to a luxury townhouse development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was my third or fourth site visit,\u201d he recalls. \u201cWe had the opportunity to ask lots of questions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His enthusiasm caught the attention of the site team, who asked if he would be interested in working with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What came next was a two-and-a-half-year cadetship with Dale Alcock Projects, giving him the chance to test different areas of construction management while he studied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are so many facets to construction, from site roles to design, project management, quantity surveying and contracts,\u201d he says.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One role in particular surprised him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere’s a role called \u2018contract administrator\u2019. When you’re starting, that sounds boring. But now I\u2019ve realised that contract administration is what I’d really like to do because you’re working with people, you’re making deals. You\u2019re running the jobs from behind the scenes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out where a degree in Construction Management<\/a> could take you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building connections from day one <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nathan\u2019s experience is no accident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Course Coordinator Dr Vasilios Papastamoulis says Curtin’s Construction Management degree is designed with input by an industry advisory board, keeping the course aligned with industry needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dr
Photo: Dr Vasilios Papastamoulis (right) with students. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Students build career-ready skills through real projects and case studies, industry-led learning, site visits and industry events. Before graduating, they also complete 80 days of work experience in construction management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith almost two decades of experience in the construction industry, I know how important it is for students to experience real site conditions and observe actual construction activities firsthand,\u201d Vasilios explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is why, within weeks of starting the degree, we organise site visits to help students understand the construction management process and begin building their professional networks.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom first year, many students are able to secure an industry internship, cadetship and even a part-time job.\u201d <\/em>
– Dr Vasilios Papastamoulis<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The networks that students grow aren\u2019t limited to employers, either. Nathan says his classmates are already becoming part of his professional future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe guys I am doing my group assignments with \u2013 they’re the ones I’m going to be ringing up or working for or tendering against in the future,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding your pathway <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Curtin student Jen Rose has taken a different path into construction.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t someone who put myself forward at site visits because I hadn\u2019t yet built up that confidence,\u201d Jen says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, her first opportunity came through her Property<\/a> specialisation, where she was paired with an industry mentor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThrough our conversations, I gained confidence and started to put myself out there, attending industry events and panels. The following year he offered me an internship.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a LinkedIn profile led directly to her next opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI actually got a message on LinkedIn from a recruiter at SHAPE saying, \u2018Our cadetship is opening. Would you like to apply?\u2019 I’ve been there for a year now \u2013 and I’m really happy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a SHAPE cadet, she\u2019s gained experience in site operations, safety, estimating and project management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, she worked on Curtin\u2019s iconic geodesic Dome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Interior
Photos: Curtin\u2019s re-imagined geodesic Dome. 
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReturning to Curtin to work on my first ever project was a pretty cool highlight \u2013 to get the job and jump straight in there,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her experience has also reinforced the importance of building a professional presence early. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI tell all my classmates: make sure you build up your contacts and get a LinkedIn as soon as possible, even if it’s literally just a picture and says what you’re studying,\u201d she says.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don’t have to be posting on LinkedIn. Just start using it as a way to stay connected to the people you meet in the industry.\u201d <\/em>
– Jen Rose<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Learning the tools and using them on the job <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When Jen began her Construction Management degree, she was surprised by how much time she spent working with digital construction technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don’t think I was expecting as much software use,\u201d she says. \u201cBut with the changing environment of the industry \u2026 it makes a lot of sense. I\u2019ve worked with tools like Revit, Navisworks and Revisto, but every year they\u2019re bringing in new ones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nathan says the degree has given him early exposure to Building Information Modelling (BIM), construction sequencing, simulations and other digital technologies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs I\u2019ve progressed through uni, I\u2019ve been exposed to more complex things. Then at work, I\u2019ve had the opportunity to use that knowledge straight away,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vasilios believes building students\u2019 digital capability alongside their construction knowledge is vital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a new partnership with Octave Intelligence that means our students can now gain even more hands-on experience with emerging digital construction technology,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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