Even her TV viewing habits revolved around the industry as she became a keen viewer of programmes such as Grand Designs, and Room to Improve.
“Watching the project progress from start to finish was one of the most interesting parts of watching those shows and I always knew that a career in the construction industry was for me. I chose the route of a quantity surveyor because I found it to be the perfect blend of my interests: technology, mathematics and measurements,” she says.
She took the BSc quantity surveyor course at Letterkenny IT, concluded her studies at DIT and was motivated to succeed by the low representation of women involved in the industry.
“It is for this reason that I have recently visited a number of schools and colleges throughout Ireland to give presentations to try educate, promote and encourage more females to choose quantity surveying as a career,” she says.
After initially getting an internship at Aecom, Gallagher has worked for the past three years in the company’s banking monitoring and due diligence sector.
“I have been working at Aecom as a quantity surveyor since May 2010, predominately in the following sectors: residential, commercial offices and recovery projects. As a quantity surveyor my duties include both pre- and post-contract works.
“I have also assisted in project monitoring for various schemes. The appointment is usually from financial institutions that have a vested interest in the overall development and require a cost consultant to assess the viability of the development and monitor the works throughout the life of the project.
“The team I work with is very supportive, experienced and focused on personal and technical development and there is great emphasis placed on continual professional training and development. All in all a very rewarding career.”
