For Women In Construction Week, our colleague Sarah Daniel was asked to write about her experience working for a builders merchant. Read on to hear her story and learn about how she came to be the Product Performance Controller at RGB.
"I never thought the beginning of my career would start with lumping bricks and cement around a yard on a wet Tuesday afternoon, but that is where I found myself, in spring 2012 when I joined RGB. Little did I know at the time, ahead of me was a journey of opportunities and experiences.
"I soon realised that nothing was taken too seriously, there was a relaxed atmosphere and I was learning something new every day. I was able to get involved with a number of enjoyable roles from the yard, showroom, sales office and admin in the branch through to roles in HO in merchandising, category, purchasing and much more through to where I am today, with my main focus on company Stock Control. Not to mention the other life experiences that I am so grateful for, including trips to Berlin and Toulouse, award celebration evenings to name a couple, but in particular the highlight for me are the people and relationships with the staff in the branches and HO, the customers, and the suppliers. I’ve even made friends from other merchants which is a pleasant surprise! Having said that, I would be lying to you if I said that there weren’t times when I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong, because sadly that can happen too.
"Starting out my initial feeling was that by default I started on the back foot because I am female. When women make up only 10.3% of the construction sector, it makes you wonder how this gender gap will impact your chances and whether there is an unconscious gender bias? However, being where I am now, for the most part, I don’t believe there is. But, I do believe that this perception and lack of representation of women in construction and merchanting is why we don’t have more females joining the industry. This reason alone is why women should celebrate their accomplishments in the sector, lead by example if you can and hopefully encourage others to join.
"Whilst a female to male level playing field is still a long way off there is no denying that women in this sector have taken great strides in working towards this. I feel incredibly proud to be a woman in a man’s world who holds a respectable role for a reputable company. You don’t need to be a particular type of female or act like the men you work with in order to achieve. Be yourself, as everyone has something to offer and it is my hope that the more sensitive female is also encouraged to think about a career in the sector.
Women can add another dimension to these roles and are missing out at every stage, including being under-represented, feeling as though there are less opportunities out there and achieving poorer outcomes. But if you are female in this industry, then have passion for everything you do, remain curious, honest, hardworking and ambitious, and you will see that persevering through this male dominated environment may well be challenging but more importantly it will also be so enjoyable and you can be one of the much needed role models who represents the small minority in this construction industry."
If you are interested in a career with RGB Building Supplies then please click here to view our vacancies.