Breaking Barriers: Women in Construction Share Their Journeys

Breaking Barriers: Women in Construction at calforseaden Share Their Journeys

This International Women’s Day, we heard from two incredible women at calfordseaden, Diana Martin, Assistant Project Manager, and Sophie Muirhead, Associate Building Surveyor. Diana and Sophie share their personal experiences as women in the construction industry, including pursuing a career in a traditionally male-dominated field, the challenges they have faced as a woman in the sector, and how female professionals can support one another.

Diana Martin

What inspired you to pursue a career in this traditionally male-dominated field?

I have a background in Architecture, so I have always been interested in the design aspect of things and having a partner who also works in the construction industry and seeing how easy it was for him to get into it also provided some encouragement. Despite having an interest, I never truly explored it as an option because I come from a different cultural background. Having the opportunity to go for it and despite being slightly intimidated I thought to myself ‘I can do it, if it’s not now, then when am I going to do it?’

Can you share a moment in your career where you felt proud or accomplished?

Coming from a non-construction background and then being able to chair meetings, liaise with all the stakeholders in a project, and navigating every difficulty that arises in the construction industry, because there can be a lot!

How can women in the construction and property industry support one another?

It is very important that we talk to each other, know each other, know what we are doing, and support each other whenever something happens. These things are normal and we are normalising certain behaviours but it is so important to talk to each other to share experiences and hear how we have navigated certain situations.

Sophie Muirhead

What inspired you to pursue a career in this traditionally male-dominated field?

I originally applied to work in the police, and then I got a job at Peabody Trust as an Admin Assistant in their Decent Homes team. I formed a really good relationship with the lady who was in charge, Jill, who I loved. After around six months or so, she asked me if I have ever thought about being a surveyor. She said ‘I know you are waiting for the police but if you are interested, we would support you and we think you would be good at it, have a think.’ I went home and spoke with my parents, thought about things, and decided that it might be quite a good move.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the construction/property industry?

I have had experiences of being a project lead, running a job, sitting at a table predominantly full of men, with the only women being the resident liaison officers. I would find that even though I was the one running the job, leading the meeting, and asking the questions, the men would look at my older male partner who was sat next to me and address him. I would almost feel like saying ‘hello, I am the one talking and asking the questions.’ I found instances like those quite difficult.

Can you share effective networking tips and the importance of building professional relationships in construction?

I have always relied on knowing people to form good relationships, mainly through project work. There are some occasions where you may get invited to something and then meet other people, have a good chat, and then you start to build a knowledge of key people in the industry. Attending key events, conferences, and other networking events can also be beneficial.

In terms of the importance of forming relationships, I think it is critical. It doesn’t necessarily always win you work but it helps people speaking well of you, trusting you, and building a positive reputation. For example, someone might say ‘I’ve heard of Sophie Muirhead from calfordseaden, she worked on this project with this client, and she did a good job. That’s where I think forming relationships can really help.

There might be some instances where networking can develop actual work opportunities, but for me it is just about being known and knowing other people. This is especially applicable in an industry as small as ours. People in the construction industry tend to move around a lot and can pop up somewhere else, which can help projects to flow better as you already have that pre-existing relationship with them.