Women in Construction: What It's Like Being a Woman in Construction

The fact that the construction industry has skewed predominantly male for some time now, only makes us that more grateful to have such incredible women in our offices, on our project sites and at the properties we manage. While we remain committed to hiring, supporting and growing female employees, we know that the work can’t—and shouldn’t—stop there.

Hear from a few women in construction as they share their experiences, advice for future generations and ways to overcome the gender gap in the industry:

• Liz Gorter, Project Manager I, Phoenix, 8 years at Ryan
• Mai Rowe, Senior Project Coordinator, Minneapolis, 12 years at Ryan
• Rachel Dana, Director of Construction, Minneapolis, 12 years at Ryan
• Kristen Reinke, Senior Project Manager, Phoenix, 11 years at Ryan
• Becca Anderson, Director of VDC, Chicago, 7 years at Ryan
• Erin Garrett, Project Manager II, Chicago, 3 years at Ryan 

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in the construction industry?

Liz: I spontaneously picked up a CON101 class (Construction & Culture: A Built Environment) my sophomore year at Arizona State University (go Devils!) that I ended up really enjoying. My professor saw the interest I took, told me about the Construction Management program and the rest is history.  

Kristen: I fell into the industry after an engineering internship was presented to me with a general contractor my sophomore year of college through my 8th Grade English Teacher (random, I know). Long story short, I loved it and modified my major and went straight into heavy civil construction. I found my way to Ryan through my very first mentor (Nicole Waits!) four years after graduating. 

Mai: Honestly? I kind of stumbled into it. It wasn’t exactly a childhood dream—I didn’t wake up one day thinking, “Wow, spreadsheets and RFIs are my calling!” But I’ve always been good at organizing chaos, and construction has a lot of that. I liked the idea of working behind the scenes to keep projects moving, and it turns out I’m pretty good at making sure things don’t fall apart (at least on paper). 

Rachel: If I had more knowledge in high school about potential careers, I likely would have pursued architecture or engineering, but by the time I realized that, going back to school for that long wasn’t a viable option. Instead, I studied graphic design, which, surprisingly, has a lot in common with construction—both involve project-based work and multi-stakeholder coordination. Ironically, I ended up spending just as many years in school when I eventually went back to pursue a graduate degree. 

Becca: It was a drafting class I had in high school that really drove me to research a career in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry. I’ve also always been pretty creative and have a general curiosity of how things go together, so construction brings a lot of opportunities to fill those niches.

Erin: I thought I wanted to be an architect! When I was in high school, I participated in an engineering program which led me to apply for an Architectural Engineering major at the University of Cincinnati. However, when I applied, I was accepted into a Construction Management Project. Given the co-op program I decided to give it a chance before I changed my major. Almost 15 years later I am very happy with my decision to stay in construction management!  

Q: How do you deal with the challenges that come with being a woman in a male-dominated industry?

Liz: I’ve grown thick skin and always do the right thing. Even if it means being thought of as “catty” or “emotional,” I will never stop doing the right thing and will continue to call out inappropriate behavior.  

Mai: A mix of humor, patience, and knowing when to push back. Sometimes it’s small things, like getting talked over in a meeting, and sometimes it’s bigger—like proving I know what I’m talking about even if I’m not the one wearing the hard hat. You just have to be confident in your skills and remind people (professionally, of course) that your job exists for a reason. 

Rachel: Energy and persistence. Growth and comfort don’t coexist, so embrace the challenges. Seek out allies and mentors inside and outside of the organization. I did not recognize the value of women supporting women until later in my career, which I now regret. Be intentional about building relationships with women in the industry, the stress of this work should not be navigated or endured alone. 

Kristen: I have always been competitive, whether it came to school or sports, which was perfect motivation to go to school for engineering and pursue a career in the construction industry. I genuinely think I have been very lucky in my career and have worked with many men who have been supportive and inclusive to the point where I don’t feel any different than anyone else onsite. I never want to receive preferential treatment, but I know that my coworkers have my back if something inappropriate happens. I personally enjoy being “one of the guys” and being able to just hang out and laugh with the team.  A challenge is that sometimes people feel that they have to be guarded when a woman comes around, but I think that’s specific to each person. 

Becca: A lot of memes to my friends. But honestly for me, it’s a lot of taking a step back or a moment to reassess (or poke fun at) the situation and come back at it with a better perspective. 

Erin: Surrounding myself with a team that treats me with respect! Just because it’s a male-dominated doesn’t mean that everyone is disrespectful or it’s a boy’s club. I also think having coworkers with families and in the same stage of life with me helps! Having to do daycare pick-up when my male coworkers also have to do daycare pick-up helps feel on a level playing field. 

Q: What's a common misconception about women who work in the construction trades?

Liz: A common misconception I’ve often heard is, “Women shouldn’t work in construction because they’ll get pregnant and abandon the project.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, women in construction go above and beyond to prepare their teams for their way-too-short maternity leaves. And when we return, we’re right back in the trenches, fully committed and ready to go—without missing a beat. 

Mai: That we’re all in the field swinging hammers. There’s a whole other side to construction—project coordination, logistics, scheduling, compliance—and women are a huge asset there, too. Just because I don’t wear steel-toe boots every day doesn’t mean I’m not knee-deep in the details that keep projects on track. 

Rachel: That someone other than ourselves must have influenced us or told us to do it, it couldn’t have been our own idea.   

Kristen: A common misconception is that we want to be treated differently. Some may want to be recognized, but many just want to fit in like everyone else. Yes, I can carry the bag of concrete, or yes, I can field measure this dimension.  But if it comes to the Portable Toilets… “not it.”  

Erin: That I am out in the field all the time. However, I have always been in a trailer or jobsite office. Whenever I tell people I work in construction they think I am in the field actually installing work. The other misconception is that I only care about interiors, while I do love sitting in interior design meetings, I enjoy the challenges and technical aspects of the MEP systems more. 

Q: What are the advantages of being a woman in construction?

Liz: I am a superhuman—a construction project manager by day, and a mother of two beautiful boys by night. Balancing these roles isn’t easy, but I embrace the challenge and give each responsibility my all. Many of my male coworkers have the support of stay-at-home wives, which is wonderful, but I see my ability to balance it all as a unique advantage in this industry. Not to mention, I parent a five-year-old and a two-year-old at home, which gives me an advantage for dealing with man babies onsite. 

Mai: For one, I get a lot of free entertainment just listening to job site conversations. But seriously, being in a support role, I’ve found that people appreciate the efficiency, organization, and communication skills I bring to the table. Plus, when you’re one of the few women around, people actually remember your name—which is nice, unless they’re calling you to fix something they should have handled themselves. 

Rachel: Women often bring a collaborative approach, along with strong empathy and emotional intelligence. We can organize and unite teams, align them toward a shared vision, and integrate different perspectives to tackle problems more holistically.  

Kristen: I don’t necessarily think there are advantages or disadvantages, because all people have their own strengths/weaknesses. I feel that many of the women I have worked with recently are very organized and have great follow through. 

Becca: Shorter lines for the restroom at industry events.

Erin: I am detail orientated, patient and caring which allows me to gather information, foster relationships, and get to solutions that work for the overall project and collaborate with all stakeholders. 

Q: What advice would you give to a young woman who's thinking about a career in construction?

Liz: DO IT! Even though it can be intimidating, there are plenty of us women who can help you navigate the waters. Don’t let the boys in your class who have grown up in the industry intimidate you! You are more than capable of learning something new and incredible, and you can excel in it!  

Mai: Don’t let the idea of working in a male-dominated field intimidate you—half the time, they don’t know what they’re doing either. (Kidding… mostly.) But seriously, be willing to learn, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to speak up. You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to make an impact, but you do have to make sure your voice is heard. 

Rachel: Be selective in the types of firms you choose to work for, there’s a lot of different approaches to this work. Join women’s trade organizations to start building a network early. Advocate for yourself, ask for experiences outside of your current responsibilities. The best interns and new hires I have ever had have been the ones that have asked for additional work experiences, jobsite visits, informational interviews, meetings with leadership and challenged me to provide them with opportunities and connections beyond our team.   

Kristen: Do it! Don’t doubt yourself. The one thing I tell my PEs is that even if you’re unsure in a meeting, ASK the question. No one in our industry knows everything—don’t let that shake your confidence. Many others in the room have the same imposter syndrome you feel, but they just mask it better. 

Becca: Don’t be intimidated to speak up and push to see your ideas through. There’s been plenty of times in my career where I’ve pointed out an issue, a better path, or an idea for process improvement and while it may not have gotten traction in that moment, people come around to my approach. Sometimes they just need a minute to process too. 

Erin: Give it a shot and reach out to someone in the industry. There are so many aspects and different careers opportunities in construction as a whole from sales, project management, engineering or VDC. 

Q: What’s the best part of your job?

Liz: Sense of accomplishment when the project is completed, and the owner is happy with the result. 

Mai: Knowing that I’m the reason a project stays organized and on schedule. I may not be pouring concrete or running electrical, but without coordination, things can get messy real fast. It’s rewarding to know I’m making everyone’s life a little easier—even if they don’t always realize it.   

Rachel: There are a few best parts. Solving problems with multiple stakeholders. Advocating and mentoring for others to ensure all voices are heard. Pushing for innovation and challenging the status quo for the benefit of our clients, employees, and organization. 

Kristen: Seeing an idea become a set of drawings, become a construction site, and eventually become a space where people thrive is my FAVORITE part of my job.  We get to make an impact in our communities and it’s exciting to drive by and see our buildings in use. 

Becca: Hearing about instances where we (VDC Team) have proactively solved problems and provided value to project teams. I get to see a lot of great collaboration happen and teams from all aspects of projects coming together to find the best solution, but it’s really when people share how we helped overcome an issue that brings a smile to my face! 

Erin: Always problem solving! There is always a new challenge to work through. 

Q: How do you think construction can attract more female candidates?

Mai: By showing that there’s more to construction than just the trades. There are so many different roles—project management, estimating, admin, logistics—that don’t require you to lift 50 pounds or climb scaffolding. The industry needs to do a better job of highlighting those opportunities and making sure women see themselves in them. 

Rachel: A significant increase in female representation in field management and construction-specific leadership roles. 

Kristen: I think educating high school students about construction opportunities would be beneficial. When I was in high school, I never once thought about a construction job. I was only exposed once in college. Mainstream female students may not be in tech or shop classes where they can see what opportunities are available, so making presentations to ALL high schoolers would be impactful. 

Becca: More global education on all the different roles in our industry. There is literally something for everyone. If you want to have a strong presence onsite or just have an impact from behind a screen, executing contracts and managing schedules/budgets or solving problems in a model and never running numbers, from chasing capital and developments to creating the amazing graphics to win pursuits and wow clients. There are many ways to work in construction! 

Erin: I think attracting more females is getting shadow opportunities and internships in front of them would be helpful. I think there is not much knowledge about the opportunities in construction outside of the trades. 

Q: What makes you proud of working in the construction industry?

Mai: Seeing a project come to life and knowing I played a part in it. It’s pretty cool to drive past a finished building and think, “Yeah, I helped make that happen.” Also, proving that a woman can handle the paperwork, coordination, and problem-solving just as well (if not better) than anyone else.   

Rachel: I love the impact our projects can bring to a community, to help build something where people live, work, and gather.  

Kristen: I love being part of a team that built projects with their hands (and machines).  It’s still amazing to me to see a tilt panel come to life in a matter of hours. I’m proud of all the hard physical and mental work that our teams put in to build quality projects. 

Becca: Seeing a project through to completion. Every project can be frustrating and has its challenges in the thick-of-things but in the end, there is really such a sense of pride to see the buildings serve the client and/or community in their shiny, brand-new building glory! 

Erin: I have a daughter, and while I have moved a lot I get to point to building when we travel to Chicago, Dallas, or San Francisco and say “See that high rise? Mommy worked on that.”   

Q: What do you think is the most important change happening in the construction industry?

Mai: The industry is slowly realizing that better organization and communication actually matter. More companies are embracing technology to streamline processes, and as someone who spends a lot of time dealing with paperwork, I fully support anything that makes my job easier. 

Kristen: I think it’s important to recognize the amount of talent and knowledge that is retiring. There is a shift in the industry towards technology, but without harnessing the field experience, there’s a lot of skill and knowledge that could disappear without someone to fill their shoes. 

Becca: How we are embracing and using technology. Construction had historically been behind the curve as it relates to using technology to improve efficiencies, but I’ve seen such great advancements in my almost 20-year career that I really think we are getting somewhere now! I know we could build buildings without tech before, but the rate at which we can build them now is crazy!

Q: Is there anything else we didn’t ask that you’d like to share about being a woman in construction? 

Mai: Just that you don’t have to fit a certain mold to belong here. Whether you’re on-site, in an office, or somewhere in between, there’s room for women in every part of this industry. And if you ever feel like you don’t belong? Just remind yourself that half the guys around you are probably winging it, too. 

Rachel: Women in leadership, even at the executive level, often have to continuously prove their worth and value. Some may assume she attained her position through her network, inappropriate relationships, or simply to fulfill a diversity quota. This may sound overly cynical or paranoid, but in our male-dominated field, it happens more often than we’d like to admit. 

This isn’t about placing blame—it’s about recognizing ingrained biases and actively working to rewire them. Progress requires patience and grace from all genders. Men must challenge their assumptions, acknowledge the challenges women face, and actively support and advocate for them. Simply “treating everyone the same” ignores the reality that we are not the same—our experiences differ, and that diversity is a strength for our industry. 

Women, too, must recognize that this system wasn’t built by the men of today alone. Change takes time, and real progress comes from recognizing and leveraging our differences rather than denying them.