When I was asked to write this article series, I struggled to solidify how I really felt about being a woman in construction. On the one hand, I love the industry and love my work, but on the other hand, it has been a grind, never seeming to become easier. I also wanted to ensure that the great men and women that I have had the pleasure of working with did not feel I was painting my whole experience as negative. And at the same time, I also wanted to be truthful about the realities that I and other female colleagues have and still face. 

With that, here is part 1.

Part 1: The pros and cons of a woman being in the field

There are pros and cons to being a woman in construction

The pros:

1. You hold a unique position in the world, being only ten percent in your industry. And because of that unique position, you are an inspiration to the women and girls looking to follow in your footsteps.
2. You have an opportunity to make a difference in how the world treats and views women.
3. You provide a different viewpoint and perspective in a world dominated by men.
4. You get to work in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry.

The cons: Well…they are the same as the pros.

And therein lies the challenge. 

First, let’s talk about that unique position and becoming an inspiration to others. You are often revered for making it in a man’s world, with people musing about how hard it must have been and how great it is that you persevered…and succeeded. You also want to encourage those women and girls to join and stay in the industry. That the industry is amazing, dynamic, challenging, and fun. That you have loved your career, and even with the challenges you would not want to do something different. But that creates an immense burden, a feeling that you have to stick with it, even when it is really hard. Because if you quit, what message does that send to the women around you, and what message does it send to those who wanted you to fail? And yet, you don’t want to sugarcoat the reality of what women face, so they are shocked when they get in and are jolted by the reality of what their woman-ness means in that space. Even with all of my success, I still face some of those challenges and have had to create strategies to keep myself sane and healthy.

Then, there is the amazing opportunity to make a difference. How many people can say that they have a real chance to change how their gender is perceived and to improve the existence of those who come after them? That is an amazing pro, and is a lot to put on the shoulders of so few. When things are not right and need to change, you feel the responsibility to stand up and speak out while also longing for the day that you can just be and not have to constantly be an advocate and, ultimately, an outsider. 

And then there are the days when something happens, or something is said, and instead of fighting the good fight, you smile and nod or just sit silently. Whether it is a client saying it and you don’t want to offend or lose the deal, or you just don’t have it in you that day to say something, or you were so shocked that it even happened (and everyone else in the room just stood and watched as if nothing happened) that you couldn’t find words in the moment. Those are the moments you think about for a long time, either reliving the details and how you would do it differently next time or regretting your lost opportunity to do something. 

Moving the industry away from egos and ‘win at all cost’, towards a foundation of collaboration, understanding, and respect for each other’s unique skillset and voice is the change the industry needs.

Providing a different viewpoint, this is something that has taken many years to embrace, and now I understand and value that difference as the key to my success. In the early years of my career, I had no idea how to harness it and was loudly opinionated about far too many things (some that might not have been worthy of the isolation it garnered me). Through leadership training and a lot of personal growth, I was able to embrace my unique viewpoint and express it in a way that others could understand. I now recognize that every one of us has been molded by our one-of-a-kind experience in life and those differences create the amazing teams that we get to work with.  

Moving the industry away from egos and ‘win at all cost’, towards a foundation of collaboration, understanding, and respect for each other’s unique skillset and voice is the change the industry needs. Shifting to a culture that encourages individuals to own their uniqueness, invites greater diversity, and fosters a kinder, more caring workplace will make the industry better. And it will ultimately help our industry with labour shortage issues and support skillsets that can better deal with the mental health issues that are finally being recognized in the industry.  

So, you ask, why is there also a con? Because being in the minority and being different is exhausting. Fighting a system that has worked one way for so long feels like continuously pushing a boulder up a hill only to have it fall back down whenever you are close to the top.   Remaining confident in that path takes a toll. I’ve learned that to keep driving change and maintaining confidence in my path, I must remind myself that a boulder can’t continue to be pushed up the hill and fall back down without slowly eroding away into a grain of sand. Change is possible.

Finally, item 4.  I love working in the AEC industry and couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I love learning new things every day, working with so many different people in so many different disciplines, finding ways to achieve seemingly impossible targets as a team and standing at the end of a project, seeing what your client described in words, looking back at you in three dimensions. The con, then? Well, the AEC industry is an industry that takes a long time to accept new things and to change. I am hopeful that with more people shifting into leadership positions, they want to see a change in the industry and don’t want others to have to experience the same issues that they encountered in their career journey; that we can start making exponential leaps forward in making this industry even more exceptional.

Alisa Bailey

Waystone Consulting