Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in construction?
A: I come from a family of civil engineers, including my grandfather, aunts, father, and siblings. Construction was always the default industry choice for me, but I’m the black sheep of the family, so I decided instead to go into architecture. Although I liked architecture, I knew the workload and pay wasn’t going to be great starting out.
After college, I worked for an architecture firm and unfortunately, it wasn’t a good fit. My dad urged me to go back to school, so I decided to go back for a degree in construction science and management. Since I already had some experience in the AEC space, it was a little bit easier. After I graduated, I started an internship with a subcontractor and then got a job with a general contractor.
Q: Can you share your journey getting started and did you face any obstacles?
A: In school, everything I learned was very conceptual – like designing a museum with no consideration for building codes. Entry level architecture jobs focus heavily on drafting, rather than design. That wasn’t an obstacle but getting into the real world and actually learning what a junior architect or drafter does was a reality check.
My first job in construction was as a salesperson and estimator. I learned that I am not a good salesperson. That’s not me as a person. It was a challenging role, but other than that, I feel like my career path has been pretty smooth.
Q: Have you faced any gender-related challenges in the industry? If so, how did you navigate them?
A: Not many. There are so many times when my entire team consists of men. I’m fairly used to it. At the general contractor where I worked, they did a really good job with diversity and inclusion. It was easy for me. I never felt left out, excluded, or that people felt I was capable of less because I’m a woman.
I think a lot of it depends on how you take things. I tend to ignore people who are disrespectful or rude to me.That’s one way that I navigate those situations.
Many more women are entering the construction industry – whether it’s in the field or in the office. In general, I feel like people are very respectful.
Q: What changes have you seen in the industry regarding diversity and inclusion?
A: Companies are doing a good job at being diverse and inclusive. Perhaps 10 or 15 years ago, that may not have been the case. I got into the industry at a time when diversity and inclusion were huge for all companies.
I think construction companies are making efforts to include more people because the industry is changing. At the general contractor where I worked, for example, they had a lot of employee resource groups for women and minorities.
Q: What advice would you give to young women considering a career in construction?
A: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It sounds basic, but if you are right out of college or have limited experience, there’s so much to learn. Ask questions to people in the field, in the office, to subcontractors – everyone knows their trades.
I feel like when people get a good job right out of college, they think they should know it all and are afraid of asking questions. No, you shouldn’t. That’s what work is for. Asking questions and being opening to listening and learning is how you grow your career.
Q: How can companies better support and encourage more women to enter and thrive in the construction industry?
A: The general contractor that I worked for had a Women in Construction group and different events for women, especially during WIC [Women in Construction] Week. These types of programs help women connect and share their experiences and advice.
Q: What do you think the future holds for women in construction?
A: I think it’s going in the right direction. It’s much more common for women to get into engineering and construction. Seeing women in leadership positions is very encouraging for younger women. I would say as an individual, pursue what you’re interested in.
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