In honour of International Women’s Day, we spoke to Delia Tabor, rhi’s Quantity Surveyor (QS) based in Calgary. She tells us about her professional development journey and how her childhood experiences inspired her to push herself out of her comfort zone and grab opportunities.

Can you tell us more about your career with rhi?

I am originally from the Philippines where I grew up in a farming community with my parents and brothers. I received a scholarship to complete a Bachelor of Science majoring in Civil Engineering, which was a five-year course.

After studying I took on my first role as an AutoCAD Operator and then an office engineer for a construction business. There were limited opportunities for civil engineers in the Philippines at the time so in 2008 when I was offered a role in Dubai, I took the opportunity. This was huge for both myself and my family, seeing me move to the other side of the world but setting me on the most challenging and rewarding path. The role in Dubai consisted of handling the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP)l QS work and managing subcontractors.

After five years, the project wrapped up and I moved to Qatar and then Calgary, Canada with my husband to further my career opportunities and raise my family.  In Canada an opportunity arose with rhi and I had a number of colleagues from Dubai who spoke very highly of the company. I was hired as a QS and in the past three years with the company have worked on a vast array of rewarding projects including Canada’s Imperial Oils project, Conoco Phillips, PFTI in Indonesia, SLGC in Angola, Renewable projects with Air Products and most recently on Tengizchevroil (TCO) project.

What excites you most about the future of rhi?

There are always new and exciting projects happening in rhi which both challenge you and allow you to expand your technical knowledge. rhi encourages freedom for employees to work on new projects that interest them, which means you can gather a wide range of experience quickly across different sectors. It’s rewarding to see the value we bring to our clients through repeat work and successful projects. I’m looking forward to re-engaging with my team members and clients in person after two years of remote working and seeing what the future holds for rhi as we continue to transition into different energy sectors.

Are there any key learnings from your experience you would like to share?

As a female growing up in a conservative family, I’ve had to constantly push myself outside of my comfort zone and moved across the world to follow my dreams. At times this was scary and as a young girl so far from home could be intimidating but I wouldn’t change anything because my experiences have given me the opportunity to become confident and engage with different people from different cultures. My family are very proud of me for working hard.

Any advice you have for someone who is looking to further their career?

My advice is to always challenge yourself and grab the opportunities to develop your knowledge and experience.