Ellie Salmon

from Physiotherapist to Project Coordinator

I coordinate stakeholders from site during the project's construction phase

Industry

Construction and infrastructure

Company

Hutchinson Builders

Job Level

Mid

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Ask me about

How I discovered construction as a career path
How I found and applied for my first job in construction
What skills in physiotherapy assist me when working in construction

About me

International Experience
Regional Background

I grew up in Geelong, Victoria and attended an all-girls school. The career paths presented to me were healthcare, teaching or law.

I moved to Melbourne to study Physio, graduated and worked for a year before deciding to head overseas. I worked at a summer camp in the uS, then spent a few months travelling. I met people from around the world with jobs I never knew existed and got inspired by Chicago’s architecture.

I returned knowing I wanted a change and sought out a career’s advisor who encouraged me to study Project Management. I went to uni at night while working in healthcare during the day before transitioning to a job in construction in 2019. I have now been in the industry for 5 years and have never looked back.

About my role

Analytical
Curious
Personable
Reliable
Thorough

A Project Coordinator (PC) is one of the roles in a builder's site team, there can be multiple PCs in a team.

Essentially, a PC coordinates the project stakeholders during construction, which includes the subcontractors (tradies), the client (government, developer etc) and the consultants (architects and engineers). A lot of the day is spent talking to these stakeholders on the phone, in meetings and via email to problem solve any issues that arise during the build.

Some key responsibilities of the PC are:

Design Coordination to get the project documentation to a level where it is compliant, coordinated and ready to build off
Assisting the Project Manager with maintaining the project schedule
Assisting the Site Manager with quality checks to ensure the trades work is compliant and as per documentation

A role as a Project Coordinator is a stepping stone towards becoming a Project Manager or Design Manager.

Students Book Here Educators Book Here

Victorian Certificate of Education
Master of Project Management
Bachelor of Health Science
Master of Physiotherapy

Subjects

Chemistry
English
French
General Mathematics (Maths A)
Health and Human Development
Mathematical Methods (Maths B)
Physical Education
Psychology

Awards

High Achievement in Year 12 Math Methods, Further Maths, PE & Health & Human Development

Hobbies

Beach adventures
Pilates
Travel

15 year old me!!

“Life doesn't always turn out like you planned, but that's ok, family and friends will always be there, wherever in the world life takes you.”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.

Started my career as a Physiotherapist
Spent 8 months in North America
Returned and sought out career advice
Retrained in Project Management at night
Accepted a Graduate position in Construction

My typical day

My employer

Hutchies has been building the structures in which Australians live, work, study, shop and play since 1912. As Australia's largest privately owned construction company, our business capability allows us to build not just in big cities but also in the most remote regions of Australia and across multiple sectors including: commercial and residential high-rise, health, education, retail, and aged care – just to name a few. We pride ourselves on providing the best possible value, ensuring buildability without compromising quality or design. Hutchies was born as a family business, and we’ve held on to the same core values for 110 years; investing in relationships, taking care of the community, and giving our people the knowledge, skills, and tools, they need to grow and develop and delight our clients through their work.