Brought to you by Hunt Electric, Inc.:
It is a known fact that the world of construction is male-dominated. According to the National Association of Women in Construction, in 2018, only 9.9% of construction workers in the United States were women.
However, those numbers are slowly on the rise. According to Go Construct, a significant 37% of new employees choosing construction after university are women, and there’s good reason for it. Misconception about gender roles are gradually diminishing, the disparity in gender-specific PPE are a thing of the past, and with an ever-broadening skills gap present in the market, it is more crucial than ever for women to be brought into the workforce.
So, it’s time to pick up the sledgehammer, bulldoze the barriers, and check out this list of construction jobs you might just want to consider.
Electrician
Electricians provide buildings with the energy they need for light, heat, and power. It will be your role to install, inspect, repair, and test electrical wiring and equipment, ensuring everything works properly and is safe to use.
As an electrician, you could be maintaining traditional systems or exploring new and exciting developments in power, such as fiber-optics or renewable energy. Working in households and residential buildings as a residential electrician or within small or large industrial environments (such as offices, factories, or retail units) as a commercial electrician.
Carpenter
Otherwise known as a joiner or woodworker, carpenters use wood and timber to construct and install fixtures and fittings. As a carpenter, you could be installing doors, walls, floorboards, or roof timbers for new builds. Renovating and repairing existing structures, making and fitting interiors for bars and offices, or even building sets for film and theatre.
Bricklayer
Often referred to as a brickie on-site, bricklayers lay bricks, stone, and concrete blocks in mortar to help construct, extend, and repair domestic or commercial buildings. You may be helping to lay a foundation, repairing walls or building them from scratch, or refurbishing centuries-old stonework.
Plasterer
Once the foundations are done, and the carpenters and brickies have done their job, it is the plasterer’s role to create a decorative finish to a property, creating smooth internal walls and ceilings ready for painting.
Painters and Decorators
Speaking of painting, it is the role of painters and decorators to bring a space to life. Applying paint, wallpaper, and finishes to interior and exteriors alike, and playing a crucial role in transforming residential, commercial, and industrial projects from empty shells to welcoming homes, offices, and workplaces.
Plant Operator
Plant operators use large, heavy machinery and vehicles to dig, lift, and move materials on construction and demolition sites, roads, and industrial sites such as quarries and railways. Usually specializing in one type of equipment, as a plant operator, you could be using:
- Cranes for lifting and moving materials around a construction site as safely and efficiently as possible
- Forklifts, cherry pickers, or scissor lifts to move, deliver, load, and unload a variety of goods and materials across the site or to provide access for workers to inaccessible areas such as rooftops and utility poles.
- Excavators to dig up soil and rocks to help prepare a site for construction. Excavators make sure to dig holes of the proper dimensions so foundations for buildings or roadways can be installed safely.
As a plant operator, you need to be practically-minded and have a good spatial awareness for moving large scale machinery. You also need to ensure safe and reliable operation of machinery by following established protocols and helping to keep equipment maintained.
Health and Safety Advisor
Construction sites are dangerous places, and while it falls to all workers to follow safety protocols, a safety, health, environment, and quality (SHEQ) advisor is responsible for overseeing that onsite safety measures for all personnel are being met – ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations, environmental regulations, and quality control.
Sustainability Advisor
As a sustainability advisor, you’ll help construction firms become more socially and environmentally responsible in how they operate. Work will involve evaluating the impact a project will have on the environment and finding ways to minimize that impact, while complying with environmental legislation.
As a sustainability advisor, you will likely be involved in large stages of the production process, from planning and building to environmental radiation and restoration of land and property.
Quantity Surveyor
Do you have a head for numbers? As a quantity surveyor, you will be responsible for the financial planning, control, and management of a project. It is your job to ensure that construction projects are completed within their projected budgets.
Quantity surveyors are also hired by contractors to help with the valuation of construction work, creating and submitting budgets for clients, and aiding in the bidding for land and project zones.
CAD Technician
Consider yourself a bit of a techy? Or perhaps you have an artistic side. As a CAD (computer-aided design) technician, you will be using computer software to produce 2D and 3D drawings and mock-ups for construction and manufacturing projects. You may be helping to design buildings, machinery, or complex components for architects, engineers, and construction workers alike.
Management Roles
Do you enjoy the responsibility of leadership? Perhaps you are a woman already working in construction and are looking to move up the ladder? Luckily for you, there are plenty of opportunities to take the reins in this business.
Project Manager
Project managers oversee the planning and delivery of construction projects ensuring they are completed on time, to budget, and within health and safety guidelines. As a project manager, you will be organizing logistics, delegating work of employed staff and contractors, and keeping track of spending.
Commercial Manager
Commercial managers are responsible for the financial management of a project or multiple projects. In this role, you’ll be liaising with stakeholders, sourcing services and resources, and negotiating costs with suppliers to ensure financial risk is kept to a minimum and financial opportunity is maximized.
Site Manager
As a construction site manager, you’ll be responsible for the men and women constructing a project. Keeping your staff safe, happy, and busy is the name of the game. You’ll be overseeing schedules, working standards, and crew safety while ensuring projects are done professionally.
