Women In Construction

What piece of advice (would you give) to any woman in the industry?
Every day has its own challenges whether you are a female or a male. My advice to any female (or male) in the industry would be to be patient, work HARD, strive to learn something new every day, and be a sponge to absorb all the knowledge around you to make yourself better as a person and as a professional in the construction field.
Favorite Part of your job at Alston?
What I love most about my job at Alston is working on diverse projects that are slightly more complex than the standard tilt–ups. Lately I have been working on amazon projects and I really enjoy working with all the different groups and teams I have had the opportunity to interact with at Amazon on various facility types and learning more about their processes, procedures, and operations.
What brought you into the construction industry?
Growing up I always wanted to become an architect but I became more interested with the construction phase of the project which drew me into construction management. The satisfaction you get from seeing a building come together from your hard work is an amazing feeling!
What does it mean to (you) be a woman in construction?
In my experience, some women need to work harder than their male colleagues to prove their adequacy but at the end of the day, it is a job and it does not matter if you are a female or a male as long as you are fit for it.
Biggest milestone since joining the industry?
The biggest milestone since joining the industry would be the success we had from completing an Amazon IXD facility with all the different components that went into the building and its intricacy.
What would be one word you would use to describe Alston?
Family.

What piece of advice (would you give) to any woman in the industry?
Be confident and don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s amazing how passionate folks are in construction and love to share their knowledge.
Favorite Part of your job at Alston?
The feeling that I’m contributing and being a helpful part of a team.
What brought you into the construction industry?
The ability to pick from a multitude of “job descriptions”.
What does it mean to (you) be a woman in construction?
It’s a great feeling to be considered and treated as an equal part of the team!
Biggest milestone since joining the industry?
This industry has allowed me to continually learn and develop my skills without a formal 4-year college degree. Each certificate received is a new milestone!
What would be one word you would use to describe Alston?
Collaborative

What piece of advice (would you give) to any woman in the industry?
Never be afraid to be the only woman in the room (because it is going to happen) and don’t forget your role is just as important as any one else’s.
Favorite Part of your job at Alston?
The people I get to work with are the best part of my job at Alston, they are the smartest, most talented, hardworking and funniest people in the world!
What brought you into the construction industry?
Happenstance really, I was placed in a local GCs office when I was 18 working to get through college and quickly fell in love with this industries impact on the built environment!
What does it mean to (you) be a woman in construction?
I see women in construction as role models for younger generations, demonstrating that it is possible to succeed in a male-dominated field.
Biggest milestone since joining the industry?
Honestly, my move to Alston has possibly been my most significant milestone because it has opened so many other doors and given me an opportunity to shine.
What would be one word you would use to describe Alston?
Family

What piece of advice (would you give) to any woman in the industry?
Don’t be discouraged that we are the minority, woman are natural born multitaskers so the construction industry is a perfect fit.
Favorite Part of your job at Alston?
Seeing the final project come together.
What brought you into the construction industry?
I started my career in structural engineering but gained more interest in the construction side versus design.
What does it mean to (you) be a woman in construction?
I’m honored to be a woman in construction, I feel we bring a different set of eyes to the industry.
Biggest milestone since joining the industry?
Completing my first building as the sole Project Manager.
What would be one word you would use to describe Alston?
Teamwork.

What piece of advice (would you give) to any woman in the industry?
Never let your gender hold you back.
Favorite Part of your job at Alston?
Building relationships with colleagues and clients.
What brought you into the construction industry?
It was serendipitous
What does it mean to (you) be a woman in construction?
It’s empowering to know that a woman can excel in an industry that was once a male-dominated work environment.
Biggest milestone since joining the industry?
Simply gaining an in-depth knowledge of construction.
What would be one word you would use to describe Alston?
First-Class.

What piece of advice (would you give) to any woman in the industry?
Play to your strengths; whether it’s listening, emotional aptitude, empathy, or socializing, they’re good qualities to demonstrate as a rising future leader. Women are naturally empathetic beings and great communicators who know how to rally a team. Use those strengths for good, improve yourself and be the best version of you.
Favorite Part of your job at Alston?
The people and the culture; A company’s work environment can affect how productive you are, and Alston truly has a “Passion for People”; therefore, your ideas and thoughts are heard, and there is top-down transparency.
What brought you into the construction industry?
I honestly fell into it, since marketing is a support service, you can be a part of any industry; construction is where I started almost right out of school, and I feel like once you’re in, you don’t leave because it is such an exciting and complex career where you’re always learning whether you’re boots on the ground, reading contracts, or writing proposals.
What does it mean to (you) be a woman in construction?
It means we have a purpose of being where we are. Someone educates themselves in a certain field because they are not only interested in it, but may also have a passion for it, and whether this is a man or a woman, the outcome is always the same.
Biggest milestone since joining the industry?
The contributions I make on each team I am a part of.
What would be one word you would use to describe Alston?
Authentic

What piece of advice (would you give) to any woman in the industry?
Construction is consistently a moving target. Learn to roll with the punches.
Favorite Part of your job at Alston?
Working with teams who genuinely care about the product that gets put at the table.
What brought you into the construction industry?
My mom – “Woohoo” for women in construction! Though she was not directly working in the industry, she was always the “handy man” around the house, and it was awesome to see her at work.
What does it mean to (you) be a woman in construction?
Being in construction gives me the opportunity to help bridge the gap for future generations; break a stereotype. We can do it! (too)
Biggest milestone since joining the industry?
Learning to speak up.
This is, and probably always will be, a work in progress, but I started as the mouse in the corner and learned you only hold yourself back if you don’t ask questions.
What would be one word you would use to describe Alston?
Inclusive

What piece of advice (would you give) to any woman in the industry?
Forget about gender differences, always do your job and to the best of your ability. Treat everyone with the same respect you would expect and demand. If you are where you belong gender differences disappear if you don’t focus on them and you do a job well.
Favorite Part of your job at Alston?
I have always enjoyed the company culture of family first as well as the team work. I love the interaction with all of my team and the vendors I work with.
What brought you into the construction industry?
I fell into it, it wasn’t intentional.
What does it mean to (you) be a woman in construction?
It actually doesn’t mean anything to me, to me it’s about the job before me. I take pride in the work I do and always strive to do my best work seeking ways to always improve.
Biggest milestone since joining the industry?
I will hit my 21st year with the company 3/1 and have been an integral part of the accounting team throughout those years.
What would be one word you would use to describe Alston?
Culture

What piece of advice (would you give) to any woman in the industry?
I am a true believer that attitude is everything. Taking the initiative to meet people and make sure they understand you are committed to working hard, learning as much as possible and doing what it takes to grow and develop within Construction. Be confident in your strengths, but also be in tune with you weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, gather additional information or ask for a second opinion. Find a mentor, whether it be someone in your company, someone from school, or a professional affiliation, because it’s great to have someone to talk to with shared interests. Lastly, empower one another. As women in a male dominated industry, we must continue to support, mentor and advocate for each other. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing the success of someone you once helped.
Favorite Part of your job at Alston?
I truly love the entire construction process and often get to assist in many different aspects of our projects. From the RFP process, to assisting in negotiated terms in the contract, to identifying specific risks that might need additional insurance coverage, to supporting PreCon, the PM’s, the CA/PA’s, Accounting, Safety and Supers and managing any potential exposures that may arise, to seeing the final product…it’s all crucial and very gratifying.
What brought you into the construction industry?
I started out as a receptionist for a REIT who developed property and had internal departments for construction, leasing and property management / maintenance. As part of the job, I was tasked with learning about the functions of all the departments. I was instantly drawn to construction and when a position opened up, I jumped at the opportunity. I was fortunate to work with a team who taught me things above and beyond what I was tasked to do. After several years, I moved from an administrative role into a more professional capacity, and started gaining an interest into the risks associated with our projects which provided an opportunity in risk management. Once I started in Risk Mgmt., it really solidified my respect for the project and safety teams and everything they do to make sure that everyone goes home at the end of each day, so they can come back to successfully complete the project.
What does it mean to (you) be a woman in construction?
Being a woman in the construction industry has challenged me and made me stronger, as an individual and as a team player. Every person goes through scenarios in life where they are tested, but considering that women only account for 10-11% of the construction workforce means that undoubtedly being a female, you will at some point be challenged to prove yourself, your knowledge or that you belong. For me, those challenges are motivation to push myself beyond my own expectations and skillsets. I’ve learned that I can take a difficult situation, listen to details, research and ask specific questions in order to assess the issues from a different perspective and work together to create opportunities for solutions as a team.
Biggest milestone since joining the industry?
Having the opportunity to grow and develop a receptionist position into a full scale career in construction risk management. Add to that, also being recognized for those experiences and knowledge base by being asked to share insights and mitigation strategies with industry peers, as a panel member at a conference specifically centered around construction insurance law.
What would be one word you would use to describe Alston?
Collaborative. Alston takes the approach of giving everyone a chance to chime in and ask questions, offer suggestions, raise concerns, share networking contacts and share past experiences with difficult situations and thus drives the opportunity to develop ideas into a progressive approach to create solutions which are mutually beneficial to our Client Owners, our Subcontractors and to Alston. This is evident by our repeat clients and sub relationships.