Rebekah Garrett is a Senior Project Manager based in our Glasgow Office and has been with us since 2015. She graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University with a First Class Honours degree in Construction Management, however prior to this she was actually studying to become an Architect!
What was the catalyst behind your switch from Architecture to Project Management?
She tells us “Project Management was not really something I knew much about before studying Architecture, however the more I learned about the construction process the more I realised that whilst I enjoyed the creative aspect of architecture it just wasn’t going to be the right career for me. What I was sure of though, was that I wanted to work in construction. I found it fascinating then and still do to this day!”
She continues, “My few years of architectural studies have definitely helped in my project management career as there is quite a bit of overlap, particularly when it comes to my construction knowledge of how a building is actually put together. In fact over the years I have met a number of professionals, including colleagues, who also started out in architecture and I do think this offers a great base knowledge for moving into other areas of the industry.”
What do you enjoy most about being a Project Manager?
This is a tricky one as thankfully there is a lot I enjoy about my job! Narrowing it down to my top three, I would have to say:
Variety: Each day is different and you never know what you are going to be faced with – I have worked on everything from education, healthcare, golf clubs, industrial units and active travel each bringing with them their own unique challenges.
The People: This is a job that provides me with the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of different people.
Job Satisfaction: I get a high level of satisfaction from the lasting legacy that we leave on our landscape and communities.
What do you consider your greatest strength as a project manager?
My greatest strength is probably my ability to remain calm under pressure. A lot can happen on a project and I pride myself on always providing the best service to my clients no matter the situation and playing an active role throughout to drive the project forward and quickly arrive at solutions to any challenges faced.
What is the biggest challenge you face in this role?
The biggest challenge is probably that the client’s aspirations are clearly defined from the outset of any project and that these are clearly communicated to the design team and they work to these parameters. All too often there can be competing priorities and the key success factors can become blurred. It’s my role to manage this and ensure that the project team as a whole fully understand the requirements and collaboratively work together to achieve these.
What has been the highlight of your career highlight to date, and why?
I have been lucky enough to work on a number of really interesting projects so far in my career and many of them could be a career highlight, however one that springs to mind is a residential project for a prestigious golf club. On completion they invited the project team, and their partners, to spend the night in the residential lodge we built as a thank you. It was great to not only celebrate completion of the project with the people I had worked with for the last few years but also to experience the project as a user. It’s not very often that we get the chance to use the buildings we construct for their intended purpose and certainly makes this experience stand out.
What advice would you give to someone starting out as a Project Manager?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Yes your colleagues are busy but most will be more than willing to help you if you’re not sure about something. Equally in meetings don’t feel you can’t ask a question if you don’t know or understand something being discussed. You will be surprised how often you may think you are asking a ‘daft’ question only to find out that half the people round the table also didn’t know the answer!