Annabel Kim

What's your job about?

TSA is a company that provides project management and consulting services for a diverse range of project from various sectors, including health, education, commercial and more. My present role as a graduate project manager involves assisting the team with day to day project tasks. Unique to the graduate role is the opportunity to rotate through various projects and sectors to experience various phases of the project lifecycle.

Currently I am part of the health sector team, working on a hospital delivery project in Sydney. In particular, the phase our team is engaged for involves the refurbishment and repurposing of existing spaces within the hospital. As the project is now undergoing the preliminary design stage, we work closely with the architects and various consultants to produce concept design.

A typical week involves participating in meetings with both the internal and external project team to discuss the latest project status and updates. Following this we work through resolving outstanding items identified, as well as identifying key actions to progress the project forward. Unique to working in the health sector, I work closely with the TSA Health Planners and take part in project user group consultations with hospital side stakeholders. Usually our team visits site once a week to undertake site investigations with the consultants or attend in person meetings.

What's your background?

After finishing high school, I enrolled in Bachelor of Architecture at the University of New South Wales. During my degree I was fortunate to have been offered the position of a causal academic at the university and was involved in tutoring and other academic work. I found teaching rewarding and considered pursuing a full-time career in academia. Hence, following the completion of my Bachelor degree, I applied for the Honours course and undertook a year of thesis writing on the issues of urban density.

Afterwards, I undertook a Master of Architecture to complete my 6 years of architectural studies. Although I studied Architecture for an extensive period, I was always interested in project management throughout my degree and so I applied for the 2021 TSA graduate program. I joined TSA in February 2021 and am thoroughly enjoying my time here since.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes, I believe my role does not required a specific degree. Technical skills can be learnt on the job and each member contributes their unique skill set and knowledge to the team.

The fundamental skill of a project manager involves management of stakeholder and the coordination of work. As the role of a project manager involves liaising with various parties, as well as leading the project team through resolving issue, being a good communicator and strong problem-solving skill is essential for the job.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

What I enjoy most about my job is having direct awareness of projects happening in the industry. Having the opportunity to visit site during construction stages and have access to these projects is incredible. I was fortunate to have been invited on a site walk for Poly Centre currently being built in the Sydney CBD, during this tour we were given firsthand insight of a vast array of project details. It’s very exciting to have backstage access to spaces that would otherwise be close off if not for my role.

What are the limitations of your job?

The most challenging aspect of my job is ensuring all project team members, including the client, consultants and we as the project managers are on the same page. The project can only be achieved by the team working together and through the synergy created by various consultants bringing their area of expertise to the table. The project manager’s role as a facilitator and coordinator means we must constantly communicate with the stakeholders to ensure we are working towards a collective goal. With virtual meetings being more frequent today this can often be more difficult, and the limitations to connect with the team and establish we are all on the same page can be frustrating.   

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

• Be proactive with your work and career, it’s something that will be vital in your future development.
• Step outside your comfort zone, try something different, whether it be a new hobby or new travel destination.
• Enjoy the long holidays, it’ll be hard to get two or three months break after full-time work.