As a kid, Maddison wanted to be an interior designer. At least, she thought she did. Her interest in the field led her to do a Certificate III in Design Fundamentals: Interior Design as part of her HSC, but the course didn’t live up to her expectations. But it did reveal what she was really into.

“I realised that I was really into floorplans.”

A conversation with her careers adviser turned Maddison on to drafting as a possible career pathway and a work experience placement at McDonald Jones Homes in Sydney sealed the deal. During her placement, Maddison noticed that the drafting department was full of qualified architects who couldn’t find jobs despite spending six years at uni. One guy stood out. He’d been to TAFE and then hit up the manager for a job. The company offered him a job because they really valued the VET skills he brought to the job.

“I said, ‘I want to be him.’”

After completing her HSC, the 2019 Trainee of the Year for Central & Northern Sydney started a traineeship at SCP Consulting, a Sydney-based firm that specialises in major commercial projects. Maddison responded well to the mix of formal training and on-the-job learning, and as soon as she finished the traineeship was offered a full-time job. Four years later, Maddison is still with the Sydney-based firm, but she’s no longer the rookie in the office. Today, Maddison is a Lead Drafter overseeing some massive projects.

“My first lead job was the National Herbarium of New South Wales at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan,” says Maddison.

Maddison oversaw the structural design of the $60 million facility that houses more than 1.4 million botanical specimens. She also supervised a number of junior drafters that worked on the project, an experience that gave her a taste of something she’d like to do more of.

“I like training people and helping the new trainees,” says Maddison. “I’ve also had a great manager and I’d like to follow in her footsteps.”

When she’s not working on jobs like the redevelopment of Sydney’s iconic Sirius apartments, Maddison is working on her side hustle - property investment. Maddison hopes to build a little portfolio by buying land and building her own homes. With a good head for business and a solid foundation in structural drafting, Maddison is all set for success. The Diploma in Building Design she’s doing on the side will probably come in handy, too.