More than 320,000 women work in our industry. Whether they are surveyors, bricklayers, civil engineers or business managers, more women make up the face of construction than ever before. However, just 1% of on-site construction workers are female.
As we’re celebrating Women in Construction Week, it’s a great time to catch up with several women at Premier Guarantee and ask them about their roles, how their careers have developed, and any advice they have for others.
We spoke to Ewa Jakubowska, Caroline Tomey, Jacqui Bonnington and Jess Dutton.
Do not be afraid of trying different things. You learn various skills in every job which you will be able to use in the future. In this way you will realise what you enjoy doing and what you do not.
Ewa Jakubowska, Head of Technical Operations
Ewa: Premier Guarantee was recruiting internationally in 2017 and the same year I decided to relocate and to start work as a Risk Surveyor. I got to know UK construction and insurance markets and worked towards becoming a member of a chartered association. I then progressed to the role of a Risk Management Surveyor and after a year or so I became a Deputy Regional Manager. In 2020 I was appointed Head of Technical Operations being responsible for leading the engineering team and coordinating technical aspects of the external Awards schemes.
Caroline: I started with the company a little over five years ago as a risk management surveyor in the South East team and since then I have broadened my construction knowledge. I have progressed through the company being promoted to Deputy Regional Manager and then Regional Manager in February 2021.
Do the best you can within the role you have, take pride in what you do and treat everyone you have contact with as you would want to be treated.
JACQUI BONNINGTON, CONSISTENCY AND COMPLIANCE MANAGER
Jacqui: I have been on some really good courses which have not only assisted in making me more aware of technical requirements and company polices but also look at how I manage and re-evaluate if I could do better.
Jess: Yes, continuous 1:1 coaching and feedback with Andy Gemmell, our Learning and Development Consultant. I’ve also done Train the Trainer, Presentation Skills, and Emotional Intelligence.
Ewa: Do not be afraid of trying different things. You learn various skills in every job which you will be able to use in the future. In this way you will realise what you enjoy doing and what you do not.
Jess: Keep doing things that you are uncomfortable with as this helps you develop and grow.
I came across this quote once and it has always stuck with me:
“Growth is uncomfortable because you’ve never been here before… you’ve never been this version of you. So give yourself a little grace and breathe through it.”
So that would be my advice… you may feel uncomfortable at certain stages during your career but that only means you are growing and developing. So stick with it and remember to acknowledge how far you have actually come!
A number of roles are available with us right now. So if Women in Construction Week causes you to re-evaluate your career, please take a look at the opportunities available here now. Plus, you could read more about our work opportunities via the article links below.
Please Note: Every care was taken to ensure the information in this article was correct at the time of publication.