The construction industry is heavily male dominated with only 9 percent of the industry consisting of women. According to the United States Department of Labor, this 9 percent is a whopping 81.3% increase since 1975. I am currently a sophomore in Purdue's Construction Management Technology (BCM) program interning for a company. As an Asian female, I think that the growing diversity is extremely important as it allows us women to give our fresh perspective on things such as problem solving. I had the chance to get a glimpse of other females' experiences in my major, and compare them with my own as well as share it to the world.
No, we did not choose our major just be around boys all the time.
While this is a perk (to some extent), and some of the guys become your best friends, it is definitely not the deciding factor. I applied to Purdue hopes to obtain a civil engineering degree, however, I was offered alternate majors instead. I chose BCM, and I am grateful because it fits me better as it is more hands on. I feel that it's a rewarding career seeing the progression of a project, and eventually, the finished product.
Rachel, an incoming sophomore, has a similar story. She wanted to be a civil engineer, but realized that she wanted to be in on the action during the projects, she wanted to to witness the entire project from start to finish not just on paper, but also physically right in front of her.
Jazz, who will be a senior, said that she "loves taking nothing and turning it into something." She also chose this career because she believes that it is the perfect balance for her as she is able to work in the office as well as be out on the job site.
Amber (not actual name, she asked to remain anonymous), actually grew up with her family working in construction. She also mentioned that this, along with her interest in design and architecture, fueled her desire to pursue this career.
When we tell people what our major is, we usually only get one of two reactions.
The first one is a positive reaction such as, "You go girl!" or "Wow, that's so cool!" They usually show great excitement and sometimes even think that it's badass that we're tackling on a job that not many women seem to take on.
The second reaction isn't positive nor negative, but more of confusion or shock. For example, "What's that? What will you be doing? Really?" I was wearing my Purdue Construction Management Technology shirt, and someone on the bus asked me if my major was under Krannert School of Management (it's actually under Polytechnic!)
I've had someone even tell me, "Why would you go to school for construction?" The only aspect of construction portrayed in media is the labor, so it makes sense that people are unaware that there are other jobs that isn't lifting bags of concrete around the job site. To clarify, we are studying to be project managers and engineers where we will oversee projects, solve conflicts, and make sure everything goes smoothly. We communicate with workers, contractors, architects, and designers so we get work done both in the office and on the field.
We don't get treated differently in school (for the most part).
At first, Amber was nervous about being treated differently by the guys, but she quickly realized that this was not the case. The guys joke around with us, and eventually, we catch on to that dude sense of humor. Jazz adds that teachers have the same expectations for both men and women in the class.
If anything, I find that the guys sometimes get jealous when they ask me how much I make, or when I get more offers than they do. One guy had the audacity to say that I was only getting offers because I'm not a white male (not because of my above average GPA or my speech I gave in front of several companies -- bye, Felicia!). Other than remarks like these, I don't get treated any differently.
We do get treated differently in the workplace.
Rachel's experiences are the most extreme, saying that some guys on the job site are creepy. "They will flirt with you. Some guys will make obscene comments about you. And sometimes they make you feel downright disturbed."
Jazz explains that during one internship, she was placed in the office almost the entire time, almost learning nothing on the field until she requested more time on the field.
Personally, I have not experienced anything too extreme. When I'm walking around the job site, some workers will be confused as to why I'm there, but most are very cool about it. Though one guy asked me, "Are you lost?" as I was doing inspections.
Our advice to females.
My biggest advice is don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask professors. Don't be afraid to ask your classmates. Don't be afraid to ask your mentors during internships. This shows that you are constantly engaged, and you want to better yourself and gain knowledge.
Rachel explains, "You must have thick skin. It is definitely not an atmosphere for everyone, and there is nothing wrong with that. Also, you will have an easier time getting a job just because it's required for a company to have X amount of minorities working for them. As great as it is to land jobs, it's unfortunate that it's for our gender not for our abilities. Prove to them that you can get the job done."
Jazz adds, "Don't let the men get to you and run you away from something you love to do, no matter what it is. I was once told by one of my professors that I had to be more mean, so toughen up!"
In conclusion, our career path is perfectly exemplified in Fifth Harmony's "Work From Home" music video. Just kidding.
We like what we do because we are truly interested and passionate about it. There are advantages and disadvantages of being a female in the construction industry. We work just as hard as the guys and are completely capable of what they do. Rachel stated that "Being a minority, I feel empowered." I agree with her as I strive to inspire girls to follow their dream career, and to not let anyone or anything get it the way of it.
I would like to thank Jazz, Rachel and Amber for taking their time to share their experiences as well as allowing me to post them. Also, thank you to Purdue's Construction Management department for having wonderful professors and giving us so many opportunities.
