Some say there is no such thing as luck; rather, it’s preparation and an opportunity aligning. Regardless, Joe is one of those lucky people who had a sense early on of what his strengths were and how that could play out in his career. He was also fortunate enough to have a top technical school in his backyard at the time and a teacher who pointed him to RJC as he was wrapping up his studies. The rest is history, but it’s a history he isn’t done writing yet.

Digitization in the construction design industry played a huge role in Joe’s career early on. He’d trained in and was hired directly out of school because of his AutoCAD skills. It was a turning point at RJC; the last of the hand drafters retired almost immediately after Joe joined the firm. He spent many years—first in Vancouver, and later relocating to Calgary—supporting project teams and building his experience to eventually move into project management. 

Shifting roles isn’t always easy though; Joe says when the firm keeps you busy in one roll primarily it can be tough to gain experience in something new. Likewise, letting go of control on projects from your previous role can be difficult. But for those who seek new opportunities, Joe says RJC is a firm that will support those goals. He should know, he has asked for and embraced change on a number of occasions. 

He still dabbles in project management and production today to keep those skills sharp, working with all the different structural teams and fielding technical questions from near and far. This is an arrangement that might not suit everyone, but for Joe—who gets on well with everyone—it’s perfect. His strength is his experience collected over the years, and he knows the more who can benefit from that, the better. 

At the same time, he’s also thriving in his newest role aiding in business development, working to open new and emerging markets for the local team. One example, growing opportunities in residential construction, with mid-rise wood-frame multi-unit structures is relatively new to the Calgary office. He’s been at it for about five or six years already, but Joe is still excited by the latest shift, continuing to build his professional network and bringing in larger and projects from different sectors for the firm.

One of the biggest lessons Joe has learned over the years is you can’t do everything yourself. He believes it’s important to learn to rely on the talents of others. The industry is about relationships, both inside RJC and out in the market. And his advice for young professionals in particular, is to try…don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn. No one expects you to know everything; it’s the mindset that is most important. Clearly, this has worked well for him. Let’s see what his next 30 years at RJC will look like. (If only we were so lucky.)