Q&A with Bex, Registered Builder
It’s a privilege to continue putting the spotlight on female tradies this month, and we are proud to present the results of our interview with registered builder Bex. She works with QBS and is also an ambassador for DeWalt tools.
Bex inspires aspiring young tradies, especially women, on her popular Instagram page. We had the chance to ask her a few questions earlier in April—here’s what Bex had to say about her profession, her passions, and navigating a very male-dominated industry.
Career choices
Bex didn’t pick up her trade straight out of high school but spent some time seeing the world first.
“I went overseas for about five years after high school. I just traveled, I worked at summer camp in America and that was kind of like my ticket to pay for the rest of the year. Then I got home at 23 and I started my apprenticeship at 24.”
After her OE but previous to picking up the tools, Bex worked for the AFL, coaching and then managing tournaments. Wanting a change, she did some research on industries that were booming.
“I just sat down with my partner and we were talking about building. I've always kind of liked the idea of being a builder, it's very suited to my personality, I think. it's a social job, it's physical, it, hands on. You're creating things. Those are all the things I like about it. I was just in an industry that wasn't, I mean, it's great, but it doesn't have as much promise as construction."
A very considered choice—and a good one, because construction has continued to boom with no signs of stopping!
Tools of the trade
Asking an ambassador for DeWalt their favourite brand of tools seems a little redundant, but we did it anyway! Here’s what Bex had to say about this globally popular brand:
“So I kinda have to say that <DeWalt>, but it truly is my favorite. I started with that brand only because my partner's American and it was either DeWalt or Milwaukee that he recognized—he was a builder back in the States. And so he told me DeWalt, said oh yeah, that's a good brand. Cuz we didn't recognize any of the other ones. And I still use those same tools to this day, so...."
Clearly they have served Bex well. And of course, we couldn’t resist asking which cheesy tradie saying has served her well too—we love a good cliché.
“The boys always say ‘that looks good from my house.’ If you’ve done something really shitty. No, one’s gonna see it from your house!”
A woman’s take on the trades
Bex said that her experience as a builder has been very smooth—in part because it doesn’t take long for coworkers and contractors to see her as just part of the team.
“I've always worked for the same company. It's the same team for about a year, maybe like three or four of us. We'll bounce around other sites in between quiet times. So I usually work with the same group of guys, and we also have the same subcontractors; I don't actually run into any troubles.”
“People don't really look at it like, ‘oh, there's the girl’ anymore because you just come back. So for maybe two, three weeks, it's probably just a little bit of, maybe, confusion or they look at you a little bit sideways. More outta curiosity than being rude. 99% of the time, if someone wants to bring it up, it's a positive thing. Our company culture is really good.”
Any uncomfortable encounters, Bex recounts, are nothing but slight surprise and a bit of awkwardness until everyone becomes comfortable.
“To a lot of tradies, um, the women are their mothers or their girlfriends. It's quite confusing to see them in like a professional setting. Like, oh, oh, this is odd. How do I walk? How do I talk? Do I show off? Do I, do I be awkward? Once that's over, which takes no time at all, they look around and see how everyone else is behaving. They realise, OK, I don't need to offer her help cuz she's carrying something heavy."
A culture shift across the board
Asked whether the culture around female tradies has shifted, Bex drew attention to a wider shift which makes the profession more accessible and sustainable for all people. Building methods are beginning to change, with more focus on health and safety and less on lifting heavy things and brute force.
“The way we build is changing, which makes it a little bit more accommodating… heavy lifting and things like that are actually starting to become like a problem. You know, all these 56 year old tradies have hurt their backs and they're like, actually guys, maybe we were doing something wrong, you know? So I think as a whole, the actual industry's kind of becoming a bit more accommodating… the role of a builder is becoming a bit more suitable for a woman, businesses are more accountable.”
And what can we do to continue a culture shift making building more accessible to all? Bex pointed towards Instagram and social media and their power of representation and visibility.
“There's a lot of women in traffic control. If you drive around, you see, um, you know, like lollipop stop and go signs. A lot of women working on the sides of the road. So I have a theory that it's because other women see them, it's very visual. Yeah. So then it becomes like a known thing. ‘I could actually do that job.’ And then they go and apply! Maybe with a tradie, you're onsite inside a house. So it's not as broadcast.”
Expert advice for aspiring builders
We had to ask Bex for some wisdom to pass on to anyone—especially young women—looking to get started in building. Her biggest piece of advice was that it’s not going to be easy, but if you want to do it, then you absolutely should. Everyone’s capable.
“People drop out because the job is hard, men and women. It's a physical job and if you don't enjoy breaking a sweat, then it might not be for you. It takes a certain type of person to be a builder. A bit of resilience is required, in the sense that you might be outside in the freezing cold, it's raining, the heavy lifting is exhausting, by Friday you’ll be knackered.”
“A lot of people probably did me wrong by saying it was gonna be easy! But anyone's capable of being a builder....whatever your fear or weakness is, there are ways and methods to conquer or bypass it."
A huge thank you to Bex for taking the time to talk to us! Go and follow her on Instagram, and share her page with any women considering taking up a trade. We love how Bex, Pauline, and other lady tradies are showcasing what they and others can achieve as they break down barriers in the industry.