Quick check: Where is construction on your list of potential careers to explore? If you’re like many other women, it may be nowhere near the top of your list. In fact, it may not even make your list. That’s why I feel it is important to share my experience and help bring career opportunities in construction to the forefront of your mind.

Today, the construction trade still is very male-dominated, with women representing only 9.1 percent of the industry’s workforce nationwide. However, the gender pay gap in the construction industry is significantly narrower than the national average, and it continues to shrink. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women across the board (all industries), make 83 percent of what their male counterparts make. In the construction industry, women now earn 95.7 percent of the wages a man makes performing the same job. Furthermore, wages are strong industrywide, and talent is in limited supply due to retirement of the baby boomer generation that long dominated the construction industry workforce. The financial strength of the opportunities for women in construction makes a strong case for consideration; however, most women find that there is far more than financial reward to careers in the industry.

I can speak firsthand about the potential for an interesting, exciting and rewarding profession. A constant drive for personal development and a timely job offer from a friend landed me in the industry at an early age. I started working for a small general contractor during my junior year of high school and immediately discovered a passion for the business.

My career continued to evolve. After high school and a brief stint at community college, I transferred to a four-year school and changed my major from business to construction management. While taking classes, I transitioned to the commercial side of the industry when offered a project coordination position with McGough Construction. In this role, I enjoyed working with several project managers and gained a ton of valuable experience. Upon graduation, the company offered me a project management position, and I went to work on a large project in the Twin Cities. Today, as I continue my career with McGough, my passion for construction continues to flourish.

For me, there are many reasons why this is a perfect career choice:

• Construction is a fast-paced, ever-changing industry.
• No two projects are the same.
• Completed buildings provide tangible and often lifelong reminders of your accomplishments.
• There are nonstop opportunities to meet and work with awesome clients, architects and engineers.
• More and more women are joining this industry.
• More and more clients are women.
• I have the ability to support my family comfortably.
• Women can often offer different and valuable perspectives.

Perhaps the biggest challenge in being part of this industry as a woman is understanding and owning your worth. A mentor once passed on to me an inspiring quote from A.A. Milne, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

All women need to remember this sentiment, because it can easily be forgotten in a field dominated by Type A men. Also, keep in mind that while construction certainly is not a traditional field for women, it offers enormous opportunities to break down gender barriers and stereotypes while building stronger communities from the ground up.