Zach Dunks is a cabinetmaker at Ideal Cabinetry in Ballarat. He did his four-year apprenticeship in cabinetmaking and timber technology, and these days he works across almost every stage of a job, from preparing and cutting the materials to building the pieces and installing them on site.
“Every day is a little bit different,” he says. “You never know what you’re going to get until you get there.”
We asked him what those four years taught him, what he loves about the work, and what he’d tell a high school student who’s still deciding.
Slower is better
The biggest surprise for Zach was learning to slow down.
“Before you do something, analyse every aspect of it,” he says. “Doing this is going to affect this, so on and so forth. Every possible scenario.”
In cabinetmaking, that habit pays for itself. A rushed measurement can mean recutting a panel or pulling apart something you’ve already assembled. Zach’s version is simpler: get it done right instead of getting it done quick.
He didn’t expect it to follow him out of the workshop, but it has. He says it’s now part of how he approaches everyday life, not only his trade.
The best part of the job
For Zach, it’s the moment a job stops being a cut list or a plan and becomes something he can stand back and look at.
“You can see and feel it and go, ‘Hey, I did that,'” he says. “There’s a lot of job satisfaction in cabinetmaking, which makes me love it more every day.”
Finishing the apprenticeship
His proudest moment so far is completing his apprenticeship, though he’s realistic about what changed on the day.
“It’s not like you wave some magic wand and all of a sudden you’re a million times better at your job,” he says.
What made it count was everything leading up to it. Doing a task for the second or third time and seeing it come out better than the first. Then, four years in, looking back at how much that added up to. “That was unreal,” he says.
If you’re thinking about an apprenticeship
Zach’s advice is to go for it, but to look around first. There are apprenticeships across a huge range of trades, so get some work experience where you can and see what suits you.
“Find out what’s going to make you tick,” he says, “because that’s going to matter a lot in the long run.”
He also points out that the trade is only part of what you walk away with. Problem-solving and confidence are two of the biggest things he’s gained, and they’re useful wherever you end up.
And a qualification doesn’t lock you in. “Once you’re signed off, you’re all ticked off, the sky’s the limit,” he says. “You can even step away from it, go and do something else, and you’ve always got that there to fall back on.”
Start your own apprenticeship story
Zach’s four years started with one decision: giving a trade a go. If you’re weighing up the same call, Master Builders Victoria is the place to start.
Their careers team can help you work out which building and construction pathway suits you, explain how a pre-apprenticeship can get you job-ready, and point you towards scholarships that give your career an early kick-start. They also run the Apprentice of the Year Awards, celebrating standout apprentices across the state, and you might catch them at a careers expo or school careers day near you.
Explore apprenticeships and careers with Master Builders Victoria.
