I gave up my glamorous dreams to work on building sites and it was the best decision ever – I make six figures now
A GLAMOROUS construction worker gave up her dreams of being a graphic designer to rake in six figures on building sites.
Camila Bernal is a caulker – a tradesperson who seals the openings between two surfaces of a building to make it air and watertight.
For example, she makes sure no rainwater can sneak in through the window.
The 31-year-old is raking in six figures after seven years on the tools.
She got into the male-dominated world of construction while working in hospitality and a friend asked if she wanted to give the building trade a go.
Camila told Femail that she “jumped at the opportunity”.
She said: “Caulking is all about the finishing touches and the final product.
“I’ve really fallen in love with my job and I’m a real perfectionist when it comes to my work.”
The tradie added that giving up on her dream to become a graphic designer “made sense” because she lost her passion for it.
Like most people in the industry, Camila is on-site at 7am everyday.
But getting down and dirty with the sealant has not come without its issues.
Camila’s physical line of work has impacted her scoliosis – a curvature of the spine – causing extreme back pain.
She was only diagnosed with the condition in 2021 but docs estimate she has been living with it for years, most likely since childhood.
The glamorous caulker does what she can to look after her health, but doctors further warn that the only way to make the pain fully stop is to give up her job.
Camila doesn’t consider this an option.
She said: “I will never in a million years quit.
“I need to make sure I take care of my health.
“I stretch, exercise, take vitamins, have massages, run baths and do all the right things because the pain can be unbearable.
‘Us tradies suffer a lot and I need to make sure I look after my body.
“I’ve been on the strongest pain killers at times.”
Camila is originally from Columbia but now resides in Melbourne, Aus where she runs her caulking business and makes six figures.