Professional Case Study

Paula McCloskey is a Business Development Manager for Specialist Joinery Group in Maghera. Paula is a fully qualified Quantity Surveyor with Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Management Practice and MSc in Construction & Project Management.

Having always had an interest in general construction with particular interest in interior design from a young age Paula went on to study Quantity Surveying at QUB.

Paula spent her placement year with Sammon Surveyors and returned to employment with Sammon after graduation, whilst continuing studies at Masters level. After studying part time for 4 years at Post Graduate Level Paula specialised in Business Development for Construction SME’s which is beneficial in her current role with Specialist Joinery Group. As part of her role Paula follows leads, develops relationships with architects and clients to secure future work, working on tender submissions, and managing the estimating team and completing Pre-Qualification Questionnaires Documentation.

Paula enjoys meeting various groups of people as part of her job and following a project from inception to completion as with every job there are often not enough hours in the day to get all the tasks completed. Speaking as a female working in the construction industry Paula said, “My experience in the industry is positive. I have always been treated with respect. I don’t think there is as big a taboo about females in construction anymore, we have proven our worth and everyone is happy to get along. I am involved in a lot of team work and I feel a balanced team of both females and males creates a better work environment, as everyone brings different skills to the table.”

Paula’s employer Specialist Joinery Group actively support continued professional development and she is given every available opportunity to develop her skills and given the opportunity to work within every department within the business, giving Paula a greater understanding of how construction companies operate