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www.thefis.org 17 Profile The changes forced upon us by the pandemic have encouraged those who can to permanently adapt the way they work, for example, Zoom meetings will probably still have a place even when we can actually meet in person. For Sophie, she found that for design it was very beneficial to host, review and coordinate meetings by video conference as suddenly, getting everyone in one place became easy, and showing the development of a detail or explain a drawing is straightforward. When designers are working to tight timeframes, wasting time travelling is a thing of the past when a meeting can be done virtually. Advice, guidance and support However successful we are at work, there is still a need sometimes to discuss problems and get a different perspective. Advice may be offered and we take it or leave it; in Sophie’s case, her director, Darren O’Brien, has been a fantastic mentor to her, she said: “He has an incredible knack of sensing when I really need advice or support, but also gives me the freedom to find my own way. Throughout my career I have found that so long as you make it clear to your seniors that you have ambition and drive; they tend to want to help you get there. “I’m still in touch with the mentors I had years ago, and though I would now consider them friends, I know that as my career continues to progress, I could look to them for guidance again. “I was once told that I needed to be “more vulnerable” to aid my development as a leader, hearing this so early in my career felt counterintuitive, especially being a woman in a male dominated industry, but being myself and being open has brought down so many barriers that I would have faced had I been guarded, or had I faked confidence.” If we are lucky, family and those close to us support us and gently influence our lives. Sophie’s partner, Trent, has been unwavering and unconditional in his support for her and her career. “He has this passionate, fiery belief in my ability to achieve anything, and when you have someone like that in your life it becomes easier to believe it yourself. “Trent has put up with my many long hours and late nights, pushed me when I’ve needed it and is always ready with a glass of wine and a foot rub at the end of a hard day, all this while having a challenging career himself. “To top it all, he is total feminist and is always pushing to better understand the challenges women face and be the best ally he can be.” Constructing a future “To be recognised as the ‘Best Young Woman in Construction’ is an honour, and it means so much to me to stand shoulder to shoulder with so many incredible women in the industry. The wonderful thing is that the award isn’t about pitching women against each other, but about allowing us an opportunity to celebrate our achievements together as a united force. I would not be where I am today without the incredible support and mentoring I have received from other women in the industry and I am wholeheartedly committed to paying this forward. “Construction has given me the opportunity to travel the world and have a varied and fruitful career, I’ve tried to remain true to what I want and who I am, while having as much fun as possible. I’ve managed that and still been deemed worthy of this award, so a fantastic result of this would be showing young women that there isn’t a ‘right’ way of doing it. “My aim is to continue nurturing those who feel the same way as I do about building, and to show them all of the many opportunities available to them in the world of construction. I have been a mentor for the Placed Academy, ( www. placed.org.uk ) working with some incredible teenagers as they undertake a course in design and the built environment. It has been inspirational to see such a diverse group of young people with unbridled ambition and passion already, and hopefully seeing me follow a slightly different path into construction proves that it is possible for anyone.” FIND OUTMORE ISG plc has signed the Young Women’s Trust’s pledge to improve apprenticeships for women, to provide fully inclusive employment opportunities and works to recruit more women to ensure its workforce is more reflective of society. www.isgltd.com i Some of the most challenging projects that I have worked on were following the devastating Christchurch earthquake in February 2011, helping peoples’ lives return to normal