Women In Trades Wednesday- Amelia Rae
Amelia is a fully qualified and registered Master electrician with 11 years industry experience, who runs her own company with 2 staff members.
The feeling that she has something special to add to the industry is what inspired Amelia to start her own business. “I have a unique eye for detail, combined with a huge passion for what I do, and I feel this strongly reflects in my level of work. Because of this passion, I can get really involved in a customer’s wish list, and I love making their dreams become a reality by suggesting some cool new features along the way. I’m always staying up to date with the latest technology and housing trends”
A typical day for Amelia is meeting her staff in the morning, making sure they understand their tasks for the day and setting some motivation, then meeting the customer or builder onsite and getting stuck in. “Some days I will be 'jobbing' where I can achieve 6-8 jobs in a day, others I will be on a new house doing pre wiring or fit-off. I work 7 Hours on the tools, then pick up my son from day-care. When I get home, I cook dinner, get him bathed spend some time together and then another 2 hours admin when he is asleep at night.”
“I absolutely Love my job and wouldn't change it for anything! I have found something i really enjoy and am passionate about. The best part for me is seeing a customer try and explain their dreams and what they are trying to achieve, and being able to go above and beyond to deliver more than what they could have expected - Making others dreams a reality”
Getting qualified was a big proud moment for Amelia, “I had a huge ‘f**k yes, I’ve done it!’ feeling, despite all the stigma around being a female”. “Starting a business was cool, but growing it to employ staff due to the top level of work i produce and demand to work with me personally and my company is a huge confidence booster to doing it right - I couldn't wipe the smile of my face the first day my staff drove off to their jobs! -that was a huge goal of mine to achieve”. Another awesome achievement is that to our knowledge, Amelia is New Zealand’s first Female Master electrician who is self-employed.
Amelia’s future goals are around growing her business, and being recognized for the quality of work they produce.
Outside of work, her trade has given Amelia the ability to be self dependent and not rely on anyone- “I can achieve all hands on tasks myself, as my trade has given me the attitude of ‘hey, i can give that a go’ and try to things myself instead of not knowing were to start. I can also help friends and family in the same way”
Amelia’s advice to anybody looking to get into a trade like hers- “Give it and any opportunities a go, it really doesn't matter what anybody thinks, as long as you’re enjoying it and having fun. There can be alot of egos in this industry, so head down, work hard and let the results speak for themselves!”
