Laurence Ritchie - Master of Construction Management

Laurence Ritchie - Master of Construction Management

Laurence had a much earlier introduction to Melbourne than most, living on campus as a child while his father held a position at one of the University’s colleges. Laurence remembers spending a lot of his free time as a 10-year-old riding around the Parkville campus on his bike!
 
Since then, Laurence has returned to Melbourne to complete both his undergraduate and master’s degrees.
 
While Laurence appreciates Melbourne’s quality of teaching, research capabilities, its facilities and the beautiful campus, his favourite experiences at University are all related to the student clubs and societies. As President of the Environments Student Society (now DESS), Laurence was directly involved in managing the club, event planning, student support, and faculty communications.
 

The club environment here is amazing, and unlike any other university in Melbourne.

Laurence encourages all students to get involved in clubs – to meet people, work together, and ultimately form lifelong friendships. “The experience develops your skills in leadership, organisation, and communication, and looks great on a resume… I can’t recommend it highly enough to new students!”
 
While completing his Master of Construction Management, Laurence also worked full time for advisory program WoodSolutions. “It developed my time management skills beyond imagination.” On top of his role in industry, Laurence has also held student memberships with a range of industry associations such as the Australian Institute of Building, The Society of Construction Law in Australia, and the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors.
 
For students looking to land a job after graduation, Laurence’s top three tips are to get some experience in the company before you graduate; to differentiate yourself from the crowd; and most importantly, to proofread all of your application documents!
 
All the best, Laurence!