Joel downing

Last year I worked on a building site at McBrimar Homes in Oamaru as a student doing work experience every Wednesday for the year. After that year, I got offered a job in Wanaka renovating two houses and subdividing a section to work on two tiny houses. I have also contracted out to two other builders in Wanaka.

I started my building apprenticeship through BCITO doing reno work, and I'm still currently doing that. This year I also invested in buying all of the necessary power tools and hand tools you would need as a qualified builder worth over $4000, but I thought I would get them early into my apprenticeship as an investment.

worked at McDonald's through high school for about 2 years as a crew member doing customer service, being on the drive-through, barista work, cooking, deep-frying, preparing burgers, and cleaning

McDonald's showed me how to work with lots of people in a small place; it taught me how to work fast in a stressful workplace trying to get orders out and to build confidence with working with customers.