a day in the life of an estimator
- Lynden Dighton
- August 13, 2019
- 3:28 pm
Taken from a question and answer session with Floorspan estimator Jill A on 02/08/2019.
I have worked with Floorspan Contracts for two-and-a-half years. My typical day involves using architectural drawings to design high-quality beam and block floors. We receive these drawings as part of an enquiry. This task involves talking with customers, building relationships, and gaining a better understanding of their project requirements.
I measure success in being happy in my role and winning jobs. On a personal level, I feel successful to have my designs on paper turned into actual beam and block floors.
When I started in the role, I was fairly inexperienced with this kind of work. It can be very challenging when learning new skills that are out of your comfort zone, especially in a totally new industry.
To succeed in this role, I have found the following skills are a huge help:
- Attention to Detail
- People Skills
- Problem Solving
A bit of maths ability is pretty handy too. As long as you have these skills and the willingness to learn and work hard, the challenge is manageable. With good team members to support and motivate you, it makes the ride worthwhile.
Like a lot of jobs, we have performance-related targets that let us know how well we are doing. As an estimator at Floorspan, we are targeted on the value of quotations we send out and on the number of quotes that turn into orders. This provides us with something to aim for.
On a daily basis, I work with a unique mix of software solutions that are specifically designed to meet the needs of precast concrete flooring designers and manufacturers.
One of the things that keeps the job interesting is that the company is always growing and changing. Recently, we launched a brand new flooring solution, eFloor Plus. This is an insulated flooring system which meant learning a new way of pricing. We have already begun to see success with it, which is satisfying.
There is a friendly atmosphere in our office and the estimating team works well together. Who doesn’t like a positive person with a smile on their face? We like to be supportive and help each other achieve.
I measure success in being happy in my role and winning jobs. On a personal level, I feel successful when my designs on paper are turned into actual beam & block floors. The customer is the most important aspect, without them we would not be doing this. If I work hard, make sure my customer is happy and apply my skills, I get to see my hard work contribute to building projects across the country.
– Jill A.
Thanks to Jill for providing this information. Jill is very passionate about her job at Floorspan and does some excellent work. We hope her words offer some insight to anyone thinking about getting into the design side of construction.
