What is your current job?

Trainee Project Manager

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

When I was younger, I was set on becoming a PE Teacher.

Describe a typical day in your current job

A typical day in my job role is based on site learning all the ins and outs of how to manage a construction site. As I have not long started my new career path there is a lot for me to learn, from all the new terms and sayings, to paperwork and Health & Safety. I am getting to see things on site that I could never see in the office, I can see the full process of a building going from a shell to something completely new and different and no two days are ever the same.

Why did you choose construction as a career?

I first started my career in construction when I joined Morris & Spottiswood for a 4-week summer placement nearly 5 years ago - this was based in the office helping with various admin tasks. There was then a job opportunity to join the Fit-Out Scotland team as an Administrator and I went for it. I am so glad that I did! After working in the office for around 4 years I soon realised that I wanted to go further in the Construction Industry. With my family being mostly males, and a lot of them working in construction, I started to ask advice on me going further and began to have a good think about what I wanted to do. I quickly came to the decision that I wanted to be based on site more as there was just something about the full process of working on a construction site that I wanted to know more of. I am thankful that Morris & Spottiswood have given me this opportunity to become a Trainee Project Manager and I am very much looking forward to seeing what the future holds for me being a woman in construction.

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

Being a young female in construction I was very nervous and anxious when starting on site with it being such a male dominant industry. I was nervous I was going to be overlooked for being female, but my opinion on this quickly changed. The guys on site have only ever offered me help and answered all my questions and made it clear from the beginning that no question is ever too daft to be asked.

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

For me, my biggest challenge was being nervous to speak to up in a conversation amongst a group of men, as again I didn’t want to be overlooked. I quickly came to the realisation that to move past this I had to speak up and it wasn’t too scary once I had done it for the first time.

What is the favourite part of your job?

My favourite part of my job is that no day is ever the same. There are always different tasks and challenges for me to work on and I am constantly learning as I go. My mind is always kept active!

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

How helpful and supportive the site team have been for me, as again they have offered me not only help with daily site tasks, but my college work too if I have needed it.

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

Yes, I would recommend a career in construction to women. I have already given one of my friends help on applying for a job within the industry as I just feel it’s so new and different for there to be site based female workers. The industry is exciting and challenging, so if you are a woman who enjoys that then I would definitely say go for it!

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

That it’s not as scary as they might think. Yes there will more likely be extra challenges for females in construction, but everyone loves a challenge and I just feel as a female, overcoming these challenges is even more rewarding!

Women in Construction

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