It’s a man’s world no longer: How to succeed in a male dominated industry

This January, I had the privilege to present as part of the Voices from the Industry track at the Kitchen and Bath Industry show in Las Vegas. The title of my presentation was “It’s a man’s world no longer: How to succeed in a male dominated industry”. Many clients and contractors I work with were so supportive and helpful in my preparation of this subject. It was an hour long presentation, so I won’t bore you with it all but thought I would share some snippets with you.

Our learning objectives were to:

1.            Identify key areas men and women commonly miscommunicate

2.            Learn how to raise the level of respect with your appearance

3.            Highlight important traits to look for when hiring a female designer

More and more women are working in this man’s world of construction than ever before and it’s important for them to understand the subconscious ideas that men have about how things should work.

I am not a feminist, but it is important to understand the gender differences that do exist and learn how to work with them to get the job done. Understanding men in the ways it might impact women is a critical career skill set that women can develop like any other skill set. Men’s perceptions exist and could be affecting women regardless of whether they know what they are.

We had a great time and it was fun to share what I have learned over my 14 years in the industry. I am so thankful to get to work with some truly amazing men and women in this world we call construction.

Do you have any questions about this topic? Anything you have learned from completing a project?

Email me at jessica@webbercoleman.com