Meet Ned Barry, a participant in Johnstaff’s 2025 Graduate Program! Ned recently shared insights into his career journey, the graduate program, and what daily life as a graduate really looks like.
Ned’s career path began with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. He quickly realised during his studies that he didn’t wish to pursue engineering, but he completed the degree knowing he had a strong interest in construction – and that the qualification would be valuable in the future.
“I always knew that Project Management might be a job that I’d enjoy and after moving to Brisbane, I was excited to secure a job at Johnstaff in their graduate program – I have now been in the role for over a year and love it!
In my role, I plan and track work, review drawings, organise contractors and review what they are doing, and work closely with site teams to keep everything running smoothly. A typical day might include a site walk, checking progress, solving problems, updating schedules, and making sure the job stays safe, on time, and within budget. It is a very dynamic job, where we get to be across, and learn about, the entire construction process.
The beauty of working as a Project Manager is that you are involved with the entire construction process and are always learning on the job. While I can see the benefits for those who have come from the construction industry, people like me with little knowledge of the construction process can learn as you go. All levels of expertise are welcome!
I believe that the key characteristics for someone who wishes to work for a PM firm would be to have good communication and time management skills, as well as a keen appetite to learn – everything else can be taught!”
Find out more about Johnstaff's Graduate Program here: Careers
