“Find your strengths and play to them. Listen, learn and build your experience, there is always more to learn…”
– Jordan Hulkes
Tell us a little about your experiences since leaving TAFE. Where have you worked? Where do you work now?
My first role outside of TAFE was as a Timber truss detailer for Colli Truss and Frame. In the role I was designing prefabricated timber structures such as Roof, wall and floor trusses for residential homes. Since that time I moved on to a role as a scheduler for a custom home residential builder who focuses on high performance sustainable timber frame homes and am now the senior estimator with the business.
My experiences through TAFE provided me with the skills to quickly adapt to the use of new drafting and design software along with creating a platform to build my understanding of codes, regulations, processes of the industry and material knowledge.
How did you get your first design job?
I built some strong professional relationships in my time with the TAFE system and through a combination of those relationships and my unyielding persistence to apply my passion to a role I was able to find a position. I was always confident in my ability to perform so once my foot was in the door the opportunities opened themselves.
What advice would you give to current Art & Design students studying at NM TAFE right now?
Take the course seriously and treat it as a 1- 2 year job application, because that is really what it is. While you wont work for your lecturers, you will work for industry professionals just like them and you need to stand out from the crowd to get your foot in the door. I also cannot stress the importance of building relationships in the industry as so many professionals cross paths regularly and word of mouth is so powerful.
What can Perth and Western Australia do to support graduating diverse range of Art & Design students more?
While I don't think this is lacking in TAFE, we still need to highlight the importance of continued innovation in building materials and methods here in WA. We are behind the times but have a huge economy. Lets continue to promote better standards in the way we build our homes but still teach young/ developing designers to really consider their decisions from all aspects of a project, not just visually.
What do you think are the most important qualities in an emerging designer?
Find your strengths and play to them. Listen, learn and build your experience, there is always more to learn.
I don't have the flare for amazing architectural designs. You won't see my drafting featured in a magazine but I am a mechanically minded and practical thinker. Now I work with architects and designers who provide wonderful designs with complex challenges on a regular basis. It is up to me to find a solution that works with the aesthetic, functionality and cost of the design. Like I have, find what you do well and build yourself around that.
