THINKING ON YOUR FEET
Andrew Neo
M&E Site Agent
Woh Hup (Private) Ltd
What attracted you to the
building and construction sector?
Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Engineering allows you a great deal of career flexibility. When you work within the building and construction sector, you learn the full spectrum of engineering. And as the trend today gears towards green building designs and construction, M&E becomes particularly relevant to the building sector. This is an interesting field because you are tasked with cutting down on energy consumption and reducing our carbon footprint, an area of work that is bound to appeal to the environmentally-conscious youngsters.
What are your daily tasks?
I am currently involved in the Reflections at Keppel Bay, the largest residential project in Singapore to date. I am responsible for the M&E co-ordination for both the design and site installation works. In doing so, I check drawings for consistency, liaise with consultants, architects and clients on any request for changes, and recommend solutions if needed. This requires me to deal with many different people on a daily basis, so you have to have good people skills.
Creative thinking, adaptability and rapid response to changes are the blueprints for success. Passion completes it all.
What are the challenges that
come with the job?
You have to be able to anticipate and handle changes during the design and construction phases. When this happens, you have to be adept and co-ordinate closely with the relevant parties in making the necessary revisions to the design as well as site installation works.
What kind of person is suited to the job?
You have to love problem solving and be receptive to change. You must also be willing to learn, be very hands-on, and be inquisitive
about everything. Most importantly, I would say, you have
to be passionate about what you do and give it your all.