What is your name?

Gemma Henderson

What is your current job?

Senior Quantity Surveyor

What job did you want to do when you were younger?

Accountant

Could you describe a typical day in your current job?

Processing subcontractor applications for payment, external valuations to clients, placing subcontract orders, settling final accounts, cost value reconciliation reports and site visits to value and measure works completed.

Why did you choose construction as a career?

I fell into the construction industry after I applied for a Management Trainee position with a large house builder. I was asked if I preferred drawing or numbers, so I choose numbers and started working in the Commercial department.

Did you have any reservations or concerns about joining the industry as a woman? Have these changed?

Not at first as I was only 17 years old, but once I started to run my own sites more than a decade ago, I did feel there were some issues. This has improved drastically over the years.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge of being a woman working within construction?

Women can be looked down upon however this is not exclusive to the construction industry. Being in the minority, I felt I had to work twice as hard to prove myself.

What is the favourite part of your job?

Site visits

What’s been the biggest surprise since joining the construction industry?

How things have improved for women in the industry over the years.

Would you recommend a career in construction to women? Why?

Yes, I would as there are so many career paths and no day is the same – it’s very varied.

Do you have any advice to any woman who’s currently thinking about coming into the construction industry?

Don’t be afraid to be ambitious and strong.