What is your current job?

Proposals Director

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

I have always been interested in construction. When I was younger, I wanted to coordinate the building of new towns and high-quality social housing. Where we live and how we live has such an impact on our lives. I always thought it was a line of work where you could make a difference.

Describe a typical day in your current job

As my job revolves around the Company’s work winning strategy, the day is always busy and always different. It starts with a review of all the potential tenders and contracts the Company might be interested in bidding for, an area where I am involved in the key decision making process, with the rest of the day reviewing and developing work winning strategies and bids with a lot of time spent engaging with clients directly to discuss their projects. My role also involves a lot of interaction with all parts of the business, working with the operational teams and discussing how to develop and win work is one the best parts of the role.

Why did you choose construction as a career?

To be involved in the building process! Again, this goes back to my interest in how towns and cities are built, and communities are created, really I just wanted to be part of that process. Initially I thought about being a plumber – but there just were no apprenticeships for girls when I was 16, and everyone (family, friends, guidance teachers) thought I was crazy. Instead, I studied Urban Planning, which looks at how developments and buildings are spatially developed, but I soon realised that this wasn’t close enough to the build process for me and moved into new build housing project management.

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

Although this is what I wanted to do, a lot of people thought it was an odd career choice for a girl! But also many people did not even know what urban planning was. I might have been interested in architecture or quantity surveying, but as a girl no one had ever really discussed these types of career with me, so I guess I wasn’t really sure all those years ago what they were!

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

Having your voice heard. Despite massive changes to the industry and much wider acceptance of women in the industry, their still remains a barrier to women being heard in our industry, and still too few women taking up a trade or construction apprenticeship. There still exists an atmosphere of “what do you know about building, you’re a woman!?”. Changing a traditionally male dominated industry to be more accepting and receptive to women will not happen overnight. Attitudes and perceptions are the key areas we need to challenge. There is certainly the will do this now across the industry. It is getting better, but there remains a long way to go.

I am fortunate to have been recognised within our Business and to have achieved a Senior role, and as such it is important that I challenge these perceptions when required to ensure change in our own business as well as the wider industry.

What is the favourite part of your job?

Engaging with so many different construction professionals and learning something new every day. Most people think the construction industry never changes, but there is so much innovation across our industry, developing modern methods of construction and working with new technology means we constantly have to be looking at how do things better.

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

That my idea of building a fantastic, perfect haven of a new town was probably economically impossible!! That construction is about so many different factors and involves so many different roles to make buildings and developments realities – there are a wealth of careers in the industry – all essential to making buildings happen.

Being accepted into a male dominated environment, whilst I have stated earlier that women’s voices to need to be better listened to, my experience of the industry has not been a negative one, and, in particularly at M&S they have made me feel part of the team and treat me as an equal.

The other biggest surprise is the drive over the last 5 years to increase women’s roles in construction, this is great news.

How does the business make your workplace diverse?

We have a really positive recruitment process – it’s about what you can do and how you do it, and not about any gender or race bias. Our current commitment to proactively increasing women in the business will ensure we increase roles for women in all areas and this is such a positive thing, however I think both in my company, and across the industry as a whole, there is a lot more to be done to improve diversity, but at least we appear to be on the right road to doing this.

How does the business make your workplace inclusive?

I feel valued and respected in my role – an ethos that is strongly promoted by everyone across the group. This culture has been developed through ensuring we don’t tolerate behaviours that are not inclusive and don’t value people.

How does the business support your training and development to achieve your goals?

When training is needed for me or my team this has always been provided, so the company has always shown a willingness to invest in myself and others’ career development. There is a very supportive culture across the business, which creates a can-do approach to skills development and progression. I think this has been impacted by COVID, so am keen to see this get back on track across all areas of the business.

In the last year, in the promotion of myself and Susan, our HR Director, to Director roles, has demonstrated to other women in the business that the company is committed to supporting women to progress in their roles.

How does the business support your work life balance?

They trust me! Those who can at M&S are working from home and we are trusted and allowed to work flexibly to achieve a work life balance, which has been difficult for many during the pandemic. But trusting people and giving them that flexibility must surely be the key to helping people develop a work life balance.

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

Yes. It’s a challenging, exciting industry to work in – and there is nothing more satisfying than when a project is complete, and you can say I was part of that construction, refurbishment, or transformation!

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

There are many different roles needed across the industry to make projects happen, so it is worth finding out what they all are. But definitely do it! It can be a very rewarding and creative career. I think a huge part of the issue of not enough women in the industry is the wider traditional culture of the industry across the world – as a woman I can only change this by speaking out about my experience and letting other women and girls know there is a place for them in the construction industry and it is a career path you can and should pursue. It can be a very rewarding and creative career.

My advice is to go and find out more about all the different roles in the industry, or even try and get some work experience - how can you know if you want to have a career in something if you are not even aware that job exists. Also, don’t be put off when people advise that the construction industry is maybe not for women – there is plenty room for more talented women in our industry!