Forging a Career in Construction

In celebration of Women in Construction Week, Catherine Fyfe, Divisional Marketing Director of Polypipe Building Services shares her experiences on how she has forged a career in the construction industry.

I didn’t choose the construction industry; it chose me and I’m happy it did.

I wasn’t one of those people that knew what they wanted to do. I knew I enjoyed being creative, strategic, and liked working with people, so after leaving University I got a job in customer service and marketing working for a product manufacturer selling into various industries including landscaping.

During the next 10 years I held various positions in, customer service, marketing and product management and took all the opportunities presented to me, learning more about the industry, while also learning more about myself, the work I enjoyed and the leader I wanted to be.

Then my role was made redundant following a company merger, and whilst it was a complete knock to my confidence, it reinforced my desire to pursue a career within the construction industry; although I’d been around exclusively male leaders and mentors, they were all supportive, helpful, and wanted to see me succeed.

I was introduced to Polypipe and joined their marketing team. The leaders were predominantly male, but I could see things changing with more women taking on managerial positions.

My time at Polypipe and within the construction industry so far has been great. I’ve continued to be supported, been able to develop my confidence to lead on projects and subsequently departments, steadily progressing in my career.

Whilst my hi-vis jacket and steel toe-capped boots might look ridiculously oversized onsite, the support within the industry from our customer base has never faltered. I can honestly say that the industry is full of passionate people, trying to do their best and help each other along the way.

I still have a long career ahead of me and continue to learn every single day and wanted to share some of the things that I have learnt along the way in the hope that it helps future female leaders in construction.

The importance of Mentors

I’ve surrounded myself with people I could learn from. People who taught me how to communicate better, provided honest feedback, helped me improve my confidence and find my leadership style.

Networks and networking

I’ve built a network both within my field (marketing) and within the construction industry. I did that by getting involved within the industry and it’s been invaluable to be able to pick up the phone and bounce ideas around and gain other people’s perspectives within the industry. You also never know what opportunities may lie through that network.

Know your worth, but stay humble

It’s easy to get carried away and say yes to too many projects. I found that once I was proactive and delivered results lots of opportunities came my way and with that, expectation. I had to learn to set boundaries and be confident in the value I was bringing to the business without frustrating or alienating people. Communication is key!

Volunteer your time

I actively participate in industry initiatives and groups. It’s a great way to learn new skills, expand your network and get to know the industry.

Get to know the construction industry

For my role and my ideas to be of value to my business I got stuck in and learnt about the challenges facing the construction industry and our customers.

Understand your business strategy

For all the businesses I’ve worked for, I’ve taken the time to understand the strategy of the business and worked out a way I can contribute to that, however big or small.

Put yourself forward

I get it, imposter syndrome is real, but the only way I gained confidence and others saw my value was when I put myself forward to lead on projects, spoke up and got outside my comfort zone.

Hone your people skills

I was so grateful I learnt this early on in my career and I cannot emphasise enough the importance of understanding yourself, your communication style, and the personality of others. I’ve used a lot of people skills in my leadership role and believe it’s vital to lead and influence effectively.

Stay flexible

I’ve been presented with various opportunities throughout my career. I’ve had roles in sales, customer service, marketing communications, product management and worked with various departments across the business. I believe that being open minded has led me to have the skills I have today.

Be patient

Things didn’t happen overnight. My contributions were not instantly recognised, but the consistent hard work does pay off.