Danni Platt
Like a lot of school leavers, Danni Platt wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to do for a career. She’d thought about architectural design but decided that creativity and thinking outside of the box weren’t her forte. “I’ve always been better at dealing with facts and numbers,” she says.
On a whim one day she did an online careers quiz. It identified quantity surveying as her top job match. “So I looked into what the job entailed and realised it really suited me and what I was good at.”
This discovery led the former Avonside Girls High student to seek out work in quantity surveying. She also began a national diploma in quantity surveying through the Open Polytechnic.
When it came time to take her career to the next step, Danni enrolled in Ara’s Bachelor of Construction which has specialties in quantity surveying and construction management.
The degree was significant step up from her diploma experience. “It covered topics in a more in-depth and technical manner, and a lot of the assignments required more thought than had been needed in my previous studies. I really had to push myself outside of my comfort zone, but that was a highlight of the programme for me.”
Danni was impressed that her tutors had industry experience, rather than just theoretical knowledge. “The tutors’ experience was very beneficial.” She also liked that the degree offered lots of elective options. This meant she was able to complement her quantity surveying expertise with business-related knowledge in leadership and organisational behaviour.
Danni excelled in her studies at Ara. In 2019 she received both the NAWIC Student of the Year award and the HH Bunckenburg Memorial Trust Scholarship award.
She’s now employed as a quantity surveyor at Rider Levett Bucknell in Christchurch, a job she began in her first year at Ara. “The degree has helped me greatly in my current role. I don’t feel I would’ve been anywhere near as prepared or as successful in this role without undertaking the Bachelor of Construction.”
For now, Danni intends to continue working at Rider Levett Bucknell, hopefully making it up to director level. “I’m also considering undertaking further study, perhaps a Masters of Construction, an MBA or a postgraduate qualification in property valuation.”