{"id":515658,"date":"2025-03-07T12:49:48","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T12:49:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=515658"},"modified":"2025-03-07T12:49:48","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T12:49:48","slug":"a-career-in-construction-is-within-everyones-reach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/a-career-in-construction-is-within-everyones-reach-07-03-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"A career in construction is within everyone’s reach"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lesley Rowland is national sales director at Keyline Civils Specialist<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

When we talk about women in construction, it can quickly become a conversation \u2013 not without good reason \u2013 about barriers. I want to give a little positivity to women considering a move into construction: I\u2019ve spent 27 years in this industry, and I\u2019ve never felt that being a woman has hindered my career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings are changing fast, and there\u2019s a career in construction to suit anyone, whatever their interests\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This isn\u2019t a career I actively considered. I almost fell into it, but I wanted to work with people, and my first job ticked those boxes. I worked in an office at a manufacturer of landscaping products, taking and processing orders. I was proactive, pushing to go out and see customers, and it\u2019s this attitude that\u2019s helped me succeed.<\/p>\n

Back when I started, there were only two women in this type of role \u2013 me and one other branch manager. It\u2019s incredible how much has changed. I\u2019ve seen a shift, especially in the past six or seven years, with more women stepping into senior roles. So many of my colleagues now are women. Some of it has happened organically, while some has come from a push to get the right person for the role regardless of gender.<\/p>\n

More opportunities<\/h3>\n

There are more opportunities for women in construction than most realise. So many still view it as a career for men, and I think that lack of awareness is the biggest problem. Getting women through the door is the hardest part. Would I, as an 18-year-old, have looked to a builders merchant for a job? Probably not. Not because I didn\u2019t think I was capable, but because it wasn\u2019t presented as an option.<\/p>\n

I now head up a large team as national sales director, working with brilliant and interesting people across the industry. Hearing more stories from women in all kinds of roles and seeing the opportunities to grow helps change the perception of construction as male-dominated. Things are changing fast, and there\u2019s a career in construction to suit anyone, whatever their interests.<\/p>\n

If I had to give women considering it one piece of advice, it would be to have self-belief. Self-belief and speaking out when you feel uncomfortabl are absolutely key. I\u2019ve always spoken up. It\u2019s important to call out behaviour that isn\u2019t right, even if it\u2019s just having a quiet word with a colleague.<\/p>\n

As with any career, there will be moments when you feel out of your comfort zone, and you have to trust that you belong. I\u2019m strong, outspoken and very Northern, but my first time on a building site still took a bit of getting used to \u2013 it can be quite intimidating. But I knew what I was talking about, and once people realised that, the respect followed. Now some of our customers regularly call me for advice.<\/p>\n

I also want women to know that this is a career that can evolve with you. I\u2019ve had children, taken a step back when I needed to, and returned to a senior role. That balance is possible. It\u2019s about having the right support and the confidence to keep pushing forward. A strong community of women helps \u2013 my colleagues and I reach out to each other regularly.<\/p>\n

If you work hard enough, you can achieve whatever you want to. My recent promotion to national sales director was a real milestone moment for me, and it\u2019s come from working hard and growing in confidence. It doesn\u2019t matter what your background is, if it\u2019s really what you want to do, you can do it. Believing that you have as much right to be there as anyone else makes all the difference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lesley Rowland is national sales director at Keyline Civils Specialist When we talk about women in construction, it can quickly become a conversation \u2013 not without good reason \u2013 about barriers. I want to give a little positivity to women considering a move into construction: I\u2019ve spent 27 years in this industry, and I\u2019ve never …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":515654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[586,559,567],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n