CAREER JOURNEY SO FAR
Studied for degree and professional qualifications part time whilst working.
Early roles included working for private practice and also in the oil and gas industry.
Most of career has been working on the contracting side, working for a main building contractor.
Became a Director at 28 and a shareholder of the company at 38.
SUBJECTS STUDIED AT SCHOOL
FURTHER EDUCATION:
BSc in Quantity Surveying
Chartered Surveyor (MRICS)
Maths
Physics
Biology
A Levels in in:
MEET LISA
Director, Brock Building Contractors
FUTURE ASPIRATIONS
To continue in the industry. It is constantly evolving and you never stop learning, so it is always interesting. I would also like to continue to share my knowledge with others to inspire them to be part of the construction industry and show them all it has to offer.
Q&A WITH LISA
What does your company/organisation do?
We are a main contractor who primarily work for local authorities, so we work in schools, hospitals, fire stations, libraries, etc. We also carry out healthcare work.
What types of activities do you do in your job?
I collate a lot of technical and financial information to prepare tenders or reports. I measure from drawings and on site to calculate costs and work out quantities of materials. I also carry out measurement for final accounts to ensure that we get paid for all the work carried out and that any changes are fairly measured and valued. My technical knowledge is used in managing sub-contractors to ensure that the work is carried out correctly and also to solve any issues on site.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
I don’t really have a typical day as my work is so varied. I may be in the office preparing bids to win a project, I may be working with figures and preparing final accounts, I may be carrying out site visits and dealing with technical issues with our contracts manager and people from our supply chain, or I may be attending meetings with clients.
What are your favourite things about your job?
No two days are the same and, even with all the experience I have, I still get the opportunity to learn new things.
HOW LISA USES FRACTIONS, DECIMALS AND PERCENTAGES AT WORK
I use fractions, decimals and percentages on a daily basis for many reasons. For example: to work out profit and loss on projects, to calculate discounts when purchasing materials.
ACTIVITIES
Problem
I have to place an order for 5,000 bricks and have received quotes from three different suppliers.
​
Supplier 1 quote:
Cost of bricks
£750 per thousand
Delivery
Free
Discounts
None
Supplier 2 quote:
Cost of bricks
£800 per thousand
Delivery
£200
Discounts
5% on value of bricks only
Supplier 3 quote:
Cost of bricks
£900 per thousand
Delivery
Free
Discounts
20% discount on any orders over £4000
Question 1
Who should I place my order with?
Question 2
If I had a resource in my tender of £ 4,000 how much profit, as a percentage, have I made on my purchase of the bricks?