Welcome to our Purpose Stories series, the Black History Month edition. Today we are shining the light on Barbara who is a Assistant Design Manager at Lovell Partnerships.
Purpose Stories is where we interview amazing women from different industries, at all levels of their careers and get an insight into what they do, how they got there and any career advice that they may have.
Read below to get to know more about Barbara.
Name and short description about yourself:
My name is Barbara and I’m 24 years old. I currently work as an Assistant Design Manager at Lovell Partnerships.
Also, my favourite colour is baby Pink!
Did you always know what you wanted to do?
I really didn’t at first. During my A-Levels I always knew that I loved interior renovation projects and modern architecture, which is why I picked Design Technology as one of my course subjects. Through the subject I was able to design and build a residential project using CAD Technology and modelling materials to develop the concept. This really inspired me to study my university degree in Architecture.
What is it like to be a woman working in construction?
It’s an amazing experience and it can be challenging at times, especially due to the current nature of the Industry. As it’s very male dominated/led, you have to remain true to who you are and remain resilient! You have to constantly believe that you’re able to do what you’re doing and believe that you can aim to step into the senior roles.
How do people react when you tell them your job role?
A lot of people don’t understand it at first and are quite shocked because they don’t expect it lol. Most people’s view of construction is brick laying or scaffolding which is so false! So, alongside my role I tend to explain and enlighten people to the reality of the Industry and the roles available.
What does an average day at work look like for you?
In pre-construction, I’ll usually be liaising with consultant directors/associates and other external consultants for tender projects I’m working on. I’ll most likely visit a site too with my internal team and client team, to get an update on progress. Other activities would involve design reviews with my Senior Design Manager and MEP Manager. I love design reviews because it helps me to identify potential problems and issues within the design and it also gives me a better understanding of the project.
What do you enjoy most about the work that you do?
I enjoy the exposure it gives me to the process/lifecycle of Construction. Alongside my role, I’m able to see and understand how my colleagues’ roles play their part in the process. I also enjoy the exposure it gives me to sites, as that’s where one of my interest lies. I love seeing a site in its former state and how it develops into a completed project.
Do you have any advice for young women thinking about a career in construction?
Go for it and don’t be afraid to do so! There are so many opportunities available and so many roles that you can sift through. Also, don’t let the current nature of the Industry hinder you from stepping into it, we need more examples of young women within the Industry, so by you stepping in you’re providing an example for another young lady to do so.
Do you think there is a stigma or misconception preventing young women from joining the industry?
Yes definitely! Majority of the young women I meet have a set ‘bob the builder’ or ‘muddy’ perspective of the Industry and social media hasn’t really done well in portraying the reality of the Industry and the career paths available. There’s not a lot of young representatives as well that young women can see within the industry that look like themselves. However, I know that there are people like myself actively pushing to build platforms and ways to change this misconception and showcase the Industry in a new light.
If you could recommend 1 thing to young women what would it be?
You’re not too small to work within any Industry, there’s a place for everyone. Whatever dream/aspiration/career goal you have, JUST DO IT! Don’t let your fear hinder you, let it push you to do. Connect with other young women that are doing what you want to do and seek their advice/support – you’ll realize that most of the things you’re struggling with they have also gone through.
Apart from your day job, do you have a passion project and why do you do it?
Apart from my day job, I work with a community organization called COD GROUP. I love it because they invest back into building the lives of young people and they provide them with opportunities that they would not have access to. I know that there are many things I didn’t have access to whilst growing up, so to be able to provide that for others include those I’ll never meet is everything to me!