What is your opinion/experience on young female students wanting to get experience in construction (during the summer or something). I know it´s the 21st century but based on things that have been said to me just WALKING past a construction site I can´t imagine working in one...
KEG
May 24, 07 4:43 pm
Depends on the crew... I don't work on the site, but I'm sure my guys would be respectful. They still apologize when they cuss in front of me...like I don't have the mouth of a truck driver.
You just can't be too sensitive- expect some (very) lude jokes. I'd far rather work with a bunch of guys than girls (I'm the only girl in my office) but I know that they would expect me to do everything they do if I were to take that job. There is no...it's too heavy...my nails...allowed (unless you work in the office like me, lol). I think it would be a great experience.
I had a Prof. who said she welded during the summers in college. It was during the early 90's recession and it was the only job she could find. She said she learned more about construction that summer than she did all throughout college.
Unfortunately, there still is bigotry in the industry, so you might have to look around for a job but the construction industry is insanely busy right now, so I’m sure you could find something.
mdler
May 24, 07 4:49 pm
It helps if you can speak Spanish...nothing better than responding to the construction workers who are talking about you, but dont think you can understand what they are saying
renmonk
May 24, 07 4:53 pm
lol i DO speak spanish...it´s helped me quite often when people talk about me and think I don´t understand...
bowling_ball
May 24, 07 4:53 pm
I know this doesn't answer your question and may be a little nit-picky, but referring to yourselves (and other adult females) as girls instead of women does do some amount of disservice. You're women, not girls.
I've worked construction for a few summers. The only woman laborer I ever saw didn't last a week. But then, this was the case with many of the men laborers, too.
As WhatToDo says, expect a lot of very rude jokes..... as well as racism, sexism. Basically making fun of anybody "different." I had both my ears pierced (and as a male) never heard the end of it.
silverlake
May 24, 07 4:59 pm
If you like to talk about sports and breatsesis you'll be just fine...
mdler
May 24, 07 5:03 pm
I think that the issue with women in a construction related profession is the assumption that you dont know anything about it...If you show up and show the 'guys' that you know your shit and can swing a hammer (if that is needed) then you should be fine.
Put the guys in their place
binary
May 24, 07 5:09 pm
be prepared for alot of !@#$%^ words and @#$%^&8 talk.... and @#$%^& jokes.......... and @#$%^ stares
but all in all..... you would probably get respected in the field for being a woman and the guys would probably help out also....... just dont wear anything that shows skin....seriously.......
b
PetePeterson
May 24, 07 5:13 pm
be sure to have matching pink toolbelt and accessories like the "construction" chick on extreme mc-home makeover
sparch
May 24, 07 5:17 pm
cryzko
more than white tight t-shirt, and yellow helmet?
PetePeterson
May 24, 07 5:19 pm
PetePeterson
May 24, 07 5:20 pm
PetePeterson
May 24, 07 5:21 pm
oh crap i give up....
KEG
May 24, 07 5:26 pm
my guys keep a pink hard hat in the trucks that they make crew members wear if they forget their own (cause it's embarrassing). I stole one...so, yeah...I wear a pink hard hat. It's an ice breaker...own your girlyness...
I also keep a small 16' flower print tape measure in my purse. Some appreciate the irony and know I think it's a joke....others, well, I don't really care what they think...
I'll jump around the scaffolding and swing stages with the best of them...
sparch
May 24, 07 5:26 pm
that's white hemet
garpike
May 24, 07 5:32 pm
Very good!
garpike
May 24, 07 5:33 pm
Ooops... sarcasm was yesterday.
Jonas77
May 24, 07 5:49 pm
are you saying it's hard to find a non sexist male crew well then maybe fire them and replace them with a fully capable all female crew? who knows
KEG
May 24, 07 6:20 pm
I think I'll get this to bring to work...
Jonas77
May 24, 07 6:32 pm
that is very stereotypical wouldn't you agree?
i know allot of anarcha who would be very upset by that
but i can take it as a joke as laughter is what releases dopamine and helps us to be ok with that witch is least.
I035PEP
May 24, 07 6:33 pm
I grew up on construction sites since my father was a mason and I often tagged along. When I was doing my undergrad, we had a school project with a construction supervisor. The first day he made the assumption that I wasn't capable of much beyond fetching ladders and other misc. tools for the other students - all male. I made sure I did as much as the guys and towards the end the supervisor made a comment that I had surprised him, even outdoing some of the guys I worked with. I know I wouldn't want someone to think I wasn't capable of something unless I had tried it and being able to prove to the supervisor, the other guys, and myself made it all worth while.
smallpotatoes
May 24, 07 6:33 pm
renmonk-are you looking to get some building experience in preparation for a job in architecture? If so I think you are doing the right thing by considering constructin work. I did it during the summers of arch. school and I loved it.
I honestly had to pull over on the drive to the jobsite the first day because I thought the nervousness was about to make me puke.
then it got better. all above advice about being prepared for gutter humor and sexism and dirty work is true. the great thing about being a woman is that it creates a great enviroment for learning - the guys on my site just assumed I was completely clueless (bothered me lots at first...got over it) so they were very ready tell me all about whatever task we had that day.
if you do this, make sure you match those dudes swing for swing, or at least try to. your efforts will be noticed. the first week was a dustbowl of demo and aching muscles and I could tell I they were waiting for me to whine. I didn't. After that they got used to having me around...my foreman actually pulled me aside at one point to give me some pointers but said he loved having a female on the jobsite as the guys toned down the potty-mouth stuff and were actually nicer to eachother. Don't know why cause I can cuss like a trucker with the rest of 'em!
they did put me through some trials, like handing the guy on the roof a full sheet of 3/4 ply...some heavy stuff and I almost dropped it but held on. One guy seemed to really want to make me look weak (guy on the roof who demanded that I give him the ply) but I got along great with the rest of the crew.
they will appreciate that you respect the trade enough to actually do it yourself - and you will learn so much if you pay attention and ask questions. Don't be afraid to seem like you don't understand, it's why you're there. don't say too much about your architectural side (assuming that's where you're coming from) as it can make you a target.
Don't put on make-up, don't wear anything to snug or revealing...I had a guy almost fall thru a floor when he leaned over to look down on me below...jerk. Try not to react to them when they leer at you. If you are cute, downplay it. I decided I'd rather they look past me than try to hit on me during my lunch break. There will be guys that cannot get comfortable with a woman around. again, jerk.
It's great for your body too-hard work will ensure a deep night's sleep, pythons for biceps (those nail guns are heavy) and you can go home at night and eat whatever you want.
Lastly, being the only woman on a crew is not easy, but don't let those men intimidate you. you'll gain so much by having the (figurative) balls to show up every day. I just decided that it was going to be tough and I was going to get through it. Now I run into a lot of those contractors and builders in the industry and they remember me and show some respect for my experience. The best part is knowing the lingo and not being intimidated when I go out to a job site.
oh and when they ask you to get the board-stretcher out of the trailer, don't fall for it.
Jonas77
May 24, 07 6:34 pm
i won 3 masonry competitions that were amalgams of unions and architects and we had women on our crews
very capable
drums please, Fab?
May 24, 07 6:38 pm
here ya go, pete-
PetePeterson
May 24, 07 6:46 pm
well done! there she is!!
Can you finish these sections for me too while I go downstairs and grab a corona?
mdler
May 24, 07 6:50 pm
mdler
May 24, 07 6:51 pm
whistler
May 24, 07 6:56 pm
I gave my wife "AUSTRALIAN LADIES TOOLBOX " for valetines day, for the new house, came with knee pads, apron, noise mask ( dust mask ) cardonnay for coffee break, cabernet sauvginon for the afternoon break etc. It went over well considering the tone!
drums please, Fab?
May 24, 07 6:58 pm
Jonas77
May 24, 07 7:01 pm
word
snooker
May 24, 07 7:25 pm
My Woman Cousin actually owns her own construction company and she has a kid to boot. She grew up in a House of Construction, and went to college for business and well the best business model she understood was construction, so she went into construction and had made a nice life of it. Seems like everyone loves a Woman in the business, who knows what she is doing.
stephanie
May 24, 07 7:36 pm
i think smallpotatoes is fairly spot on. i worked on a construction site for a summer after my 4th year, it was a little bit odd, just helping out here and there, but i learned a lot! i also worked with a pretty good crew who were pretty respectful and most had never worked with a woman on site before. i wouldn't be scared to let your sex determine your capabilities, and would second the point of not referring to yourself as a "girl." confidence is a huge factor in being able to succeed anywhere, but especially in a work environment where women are not completely equal.
nambypambics
May 24, 07 7:39 pm
I'm disturbed by all the "oh, they're just sexist, they'll be lewd, get over it" type comments, like anyone should simply accept being treated that way. [How strong!!! *insert eyeroll here*] If the woman happens to have a sexist, lewd sense of humor herself - fine, join right in. Presumably one should be able to tell the difference between a bunch of people trying to be funny or outrageous by having lewd jokes/conversations and lightly ribbing all the new kids on the job, versus saying inappropriate things for the purpose of intimidating a certain demographic of coworkers and creating an environment in which anyone feels threatened. No one (including the men who are uncomfortable with that) should have to put up with it if it's unwanted.
In my hometown there was a Born-Again-Christian-owned construction/contractor/handyman company which, in its promotional literature and on its vehicles, promised that workers would be "respectful of women" "no rude language" etc. I think it's sad that I've only heard of a religioius basis for making a point to have that policy (I do pity their employees for not being allowed to loudly curse if they drop stuff on their feet or whatever; they should at least be granted that right!!!) My family and several others in the neigborhood employed them for some things, and none of the people who hired them were terribly religious. Just didn't want to deal with rudness/crude language/etc.
It seems like being up front & admitting any physical limitations could gain a certian amount of respect. Also admitting that you don't know how to do something but showing a readiness to learn & being a quick learner. Nearly everyone has limitations - there are probably workers on the job with bad backs, are too big to fit into certain areas, too short to efficiently work on particular things. Work as hard as you're capable (may be in different ways than other people on the site depending on each one's personal strengths.) As you do more work you should become stronger and more fit with muscles you didn't even know you had and which a gym can't give you. But why put yourself & coworkers at risk by attempting things you can't do safely, just to prove a point.
As far as makeup & revealing things - eh, not sure why anyone would wear those things on a job site anyway. That's like wearing makeup to the dermatologist! I guess if it were really hot you might want to wear less clothing, but it needn't be gratuitous. And there's always the chance that the men on your jobsite could be color-blind and they'd never know you were wearing a pink tool belt :P
vado retro
May 24, 07 7:44 pm
the builder doin liberty bell's house down the street is a woman.
mdler
May 24, 07 8:58 pm
i know that there has been a trend in the construction industry towards female owned / run companies (at least in residential) due to the fact that many of the clients who are dealing with the contractors on a day to day basis are women. Women (and their husbands/boyfriends/girlfriends) feel more comfortable having female construction workers in their homes
this is a reason that places such as Home Depot have made more of an effort to cater to woman
mdler
May 24, 07 9:33 pm
i thought this was a thread about trespassing...
garpike
May 24, 07 9:35 pm
Home Depot caters to the Republican party.
garpike
May 24, 07 9:37 pm
Home Depot's CEO, and the father of an old elemntary school friend.
Nice guy. Let us watch "The Fly" and play with the ouiji board at 3 AM.
mdler
May 24, 07 9:47 pm
i think every large corporation caters to the Republican party....hell, the democrats cater to the Republican party
some person
May 24, 07 9:59 pm
"I didn't know they let 18-year-old girls on the job site."
-said to me by my own consultant the other day. jerk.
Chili Davis
May 25, 07 11:37 am
I thought this would be more like the CHG (cute hipster girl) pic of the day thread.
smallpotatoes
May 25, 07 2:58 pm
of course no one should tolerate a working environment where you are consistently marginalized or disrespected for the purposes of running you off (or any purposes for that matter). But you have to be prepared for locker-room talk when you enter into ANY enviroment where you're the only female (same goes for guys that walk into a hen party for that matter). The point is that you won't do yourself a favor by reacting and causing a fuss over some swearing or low-level humor. If you find yourself getting unsolicted attention and it makes you feel vulnerable or scared, yes of course make the decision to either speak up or find work elsewhere. It's one thing to overhear a joke about boobs. It's another thing for the joke to be about YOUR boobs. Use common sense.
An example: On the day we rolled trusses, we all worked our butts off, not stopping for breaks because the crane was on the site by the hour. When finished, the guy next to me puts his hand into the waistband of his pants and sighs, "All I need right now is a beer and a..." looks at me..."uh, a sandwich". (he meant to say blowjob but thought better of it)
Be the bigger person, realize that guys have a certain immaturity when together, and find a way to fit in that doesn't compromise your integrity.
Clairito
May 25, 07 4:03 pm
So as a female arch student with NO construction background whatsoever... where do I begin? Where do you get the skills to start off with so you can prove your worth?
smallpotatoes
May 25, 07 4:32 pm
You'll have to start out as a laborer or sometimes they have "carpenter's helper"...both of which means they can pay you their base rate. I found this rate to still be higher what I would have made at my previous college jobs in retail so no biggie for me.
I started with my professors, asking them if they knew anyone they would recommend I contact for summer work. Those were dead ends for me, so I decided to call up a couple of the larger construction firms in my area. I chose residential construction firms as they seemed easier to get a foot in the door. It was a bit scary, but I managed to get a g.c. or two on the phone and just said "Hi I'm an architecture student and I want to work construction for the summer and learn about the building process - do you have an open entry level position?" Most of these companies are pretty willing if you are honest about your lack of experience but convince them that you will work hard and will accept a starter's pay rate.
Oh and these operations are like any architecture firm you might apply to - they're too busy to chase after you so you need to be aggressive and show them you're serious. Don't leave messages and expect the g.c to call back someone looking for a laborer's position - it's on you to make the connection.
smallpotatoes
May 25, 07 4:35 pm
also, be prepared to "tool up"...most companies will require you to have bags, a hammer, a speed square, measuring tape....you get the idea. Some places will let you charge to the local builders' store and it comes out of your paycheck. it would be good to do some homework prior to starting so that you understand basic building technology. The rest will be baptism by fire. good luck to you!
Leanie
May 26, 07 6:52 am
Hi
In South Africa, being a female in any construction related industry gets a lot of criticesm sometimes. However famous south africn architect Kate Otten, got respect from all her construction coworkers after climbing up a ladder on site while being very far pregnant and has been free of criticism since. Guess you just have to show that as a female you can do anything they can and earn their respect
Medusa
May 26, 07 10:10 am
"It helps if you can speak Spanish...nothing better than responding to the construction workers who are talking about you, but dont think you can understand what they are saying
Yeah, you just tell them to fuck off in Spanish and you'll be greeted with surprise at first, but then they'll do anything you say just because you can speak Spanish. It ends up working out pretty well sometimes.
David Cuthbert
May 26, 07 2:31 pm
got to love a lass in a hard hat
archie
May 27, 07 10:50 am
Clairito;
I got my first summer construction job at a small contracting company that did historic renovations. I offered to work the first week for free if they did not think I was valulable. They kept me (paid) all summer. I worked with an all guy crew. I got lots of horrible assignments like demolition of old plaster walls, stripping paint from fireplaces, hauling bags of plaster to the third floor, prepping walls for the plasterer. etc. So did the other 'helper' guys. I learned a lot. The rest of the crew was fine- they knew I worked just as hard as they did. I was kind of a novelty that broke up the day- they regularly asked me for girl friend advice. Maybe I was not as strong, and couldn't carry two bags of plaster to the third floor at a time, but I was way better at the meticulous work. The summer before I had done drafting at an engineering company, and was treated much worse, sexually harassed, cornered in the print room, pornography left on my desk, etc. You are just as likely to find a bad situation in an office as you are at a construction site. Maybe more- at least at the construction site, they are more up front about it, and you can just shut them down without them firing you. Of course, don't flirt, don't dress like a slut, don't play weak girl, don't expect them to do your work for you, do bring cookies the first day to share.
Clairito
May 29, 07 2:27 pm
Thanks guys. I really appreciate the advice :-)
FRO
May 29, 07 4:08 pm
I used to work on a masonry crew that was about half female. It took me a couple years to get on the crew because it was the best crew in town, and in high demand. They were all well respected on every site I was on with them, mostly because they were badasses at their trade and super confident.
What is your opinion/experience on young female students wanting to get experience in construction (during the summer or something). I know it´s the 21st century but based on things that have been said to me just WALKING past a construction site I can´t imagine working in one...
Depends on the crew... I don't work on the site, but I'm sure my guys would be respectful. They still apologize when they cuss in front of me...like I don't have the mouth of a truck driver.
You just can't be too sensitive- expect some (very) lude jokes. I'd far rather work with a bunch of guys than girls (I'm the only girl in my office) but I know that they would expect me to do everything they do if I were to take that job. There is no...it's too heavy...my nails...allowed (unless you work in the office like me, lol). I think it would be a great experience.
I had a Prof. who said she welded during the summers in college. It was during the early 90's recession and it was the only job she could find. She said she learned more about construction that summer than she did all throughout college.
Unfortunately, there still is bigotry in the industry, so you might have to look around for a job but the construction industry is insanely busy right now, so I’m sure you could find something.
It helps if you can speak Spanish...nothing better than responding to the construction workers who are talking about you, but dont think you can understand what they are saying
lol i DO speak spanish...it´s helped me quite often when people talk about me and think I don´t understand...
I know this doesn't answer your question and may be a little nit-picky, but referring to yourselves (and other adult females) as girls instead of women does do some amount of disservice. You're women, not girls.
I've worked construction for a few summers. The only woman laborer I ever saw didn't last a week. But then, this was the case with many of the men laborers, too.
As WhatToDo says, expect a lot of very rude jokes..... as well as racism, sexism. Basically making fun of anybody "different." I had both my ears pierced (and as a male) never heard the end of it.
If you like to talk about sports and breatsesis you'll be just fine...
I think that the issue with women in a construction related profession is the assumption that you dont know anything about it...If you show up and show the 'guys' that you know your shit and can swing a hammer (if that is needed) then you should be fine.
Put the guys in their place
be prepared for alot of !@#$%^ words and @#$%^&8 talk.... and @#$%^& jokes.......... and @#$%^ stares
but all in all..... you would probably get respected in the field for being a woman and the guys would probably help out also....... just dont wear anything that shows skin....seriously.......
b
be sure to have matching pink toolbelt and accessories like the "construction" chick on extreme mc-home makeover
cryzko
more than white tight t-shirt, and yellow helmet?
oh crap i give up....
my guys keep a pink hard hat in the trucks that they make crew members wear if they forget their own (cause it's embarrassing). I stole one...so, yeah...I wear a pink hard hat. It's an ice breaker...own your girlyness...
I also keep a small 16' flower print tape measure in my purse. Some appreciate the irony and know I think it's a joke....others, well, I don't really care what they think...
I'll jump around the scaffolding and swing stages with the best of them...
that's white hemet
Very good!
Ooops... sarcasm was yesterday.
are you saying it's hard to find a non sexist male crew well then maybe fire them and replace them with a fully capable all female crew? who knows
I think I'll get this to bring to work...
that is very stereotypical wouldn't you agree?
i know allot of anarcha who would be very upset by that
but i can take it as a joke as laughter is what releases dopamine and helps us to be ok with that witch is least.
I grew up on construction sites since my father was a mason and I often tagged along. When I was doing my undergrad, we had a school project with a construction supervisor. The first day he made the assumption that I wasn't capable of much beyond fetching ladders and other misc. tools for the other students - all male. I made sure I did as much as the guys and towards the end the supervisor made a comment that I had surprised him, even outdoing some of the guys I worked with. I know I wouldn't want someone to think I wasn't capable of something unless I had tried it and being able to prove to the supervisor, the other guys, and myself made it all worth while.
renmonk-are you looking to get some building experience in preparation for a job in architecture? If so I think you are doing the right thing by considering constructin work. I did it during the summers of arch. school and I loved it.
I honestly had to pull over on the drive to the jobsite the first day because I thought the nervousness was about to make me puke.
then it got better. all above advice about being prepared for gutter humor and sexism and dirty work is true. the great thing about being a woman is that it creates a great enviroment for learning - the guys on my site just assumed I was completely clueless (bothered me lots at first...got over it) so they were very ready tell me all about whatever task we had that day.
if you do this, make sure you match those dudes swing for swing, or at least try to. your efforts will be noticed. the first week was a dustbowl of demo and aching muscles and I could tell I they were waiting for me to whine. I didn't. After that they got used to having me around...my foreman actually pulled me aside at one point to give me some pointers but said he loved having a female on the jobsite as the guys toned down the potty-mouth stuff and were actually nicer to eachother. Don't know why cause I can cuss like a trucker with the rest of 'em!
they did put me through some trials, like handing the guy on the roof a full sheet of 3/4 ply...some heavy stuff and I almost dropped it but held on. One guy seemed to really want to make me look weak (guy on the roof who demanded that I give him the ply) but I got along great with the rest of the crew.
they will appreciate that you respect the trade enough to actually do it yourself - and you will learn so much if you pay attention and ask questions. Don't be afraid to seem like you don't understand, it's why you're there. don't say too much about your architectural side (assuming that's where you're coming from) as it can make you a target.
Don't put on make-up, don't wear anything to snug or revealing...I had a guy almost fall thru a floor when he leaned over to look down on me below...jerk. Try not to react to them when they leer at you. If you are cute, downplay it. I decided I'd rather they look past me than try to hit on me during my lunch break. There will be guys that cannot get comfortable with a woman around. again, jerk.
It's great for your body too-hard work will ensure a deep night's sleep, pythons for biceps (those nail guns are heavy) and you can go home at night and eat whatever you want.
Lastly, being the only woman on a crew is not easy, but don't let those men intimidate you. you'll gain so much by having the (figurative) balls to show up every day. I just decided that it was going to be tough and I was going to get through it. Now I run into a lot of those contractors and builders in the industry and they remember me and show some respect for my experience. The best part is knowing the lingo and not being intimidated when I go out to a job site.
oh and when they ask you to get the board-stretcher out of the trailer, don't fall for it.
i won 3 masonry competitions that were amalgams of unions and architects and we had women on our crews
very capable
here ya go, pete-
well done! there she is!!
Can you finish these sections for me too while I go downstairs and grab a corona?
I gave my wife "AUSTRALIAN LADIES TOOLBOX " for valetines day, for the new house, came with knee pads, apron, noise mask ( dust mask ) cardonnay for coffee break, cabernet sauvginon for the afternoon break etc. It went over well considering the tone!
word
My Woman Cousin actually owns her own construction company and she has a kid to boot. She grew up in a House of Construction, and went to college for business and well the best business model she understood was construction, so she went into construction and had made a nice life of it. Seems like everyone loves a Woman in the business, who knows what she is doing.
i think smallpotatoes is fairly spot on. i worked on a construction site for a summer after my 4th year, it was a little bit odd, just helping out here and there, but i learned a lot! i also worked with a pretty good crew who were pretty respectful and most had never worked with a woman on site before. i wouldn't be scared to let your sex determine your capabilities, and would second the point of not referring to yourself as a "girl." confidence is a huge factor in being able to succeed anywhere, but especially in a work environment where women are not completely equal.
I'm disturbed by all the "oh, they're just sexist, they'll be lewd, get over it" type comments, like anyone should simply accept being treated that way. [How strong!!! *insert eyeroll here*] If the woman happens to have a sexist, lewd sense of humor herself - fine, join right in. Presumably one should be able to tell the difference between a bunch of people trying to be funny or outrageous by having lewd jokes/conversations and lightly ribbing all the new kids on the job, versus saying inappropriate things for the purpose of intimidating a certain demographic of coworkers and creating an environment in which anyone feels threatened. No one (including the men who are uncomfortable with that) should have to put up with it if it's unwanted.
In my hometown there was a Born-Again-Christian-owned construction/contractor/handyman company which, in its promotional literature and on its vehicles, promised that workers would be "respectful of women" "no rude language" etc. I think it's sad that I've only heard of a religioius basis for making a point to have that policy (I do pity their employees for not being allowed to loudly curse if they drop stuff on their feet or whatever; they should at least be granted that right!!!) My family and several others in the neigborhood employed them for some things, and none of the people who hired them were terribly religious. Just didn't want to deal with rudness/crude language/etc.
It seems like being up front & admitting any physical limitations could gain a certian amount of respect. Also admitting that you don't know how to do something but showing a readiness to learn & being a quick learner. Nearly everyone has limitations - there are probably workers on the job with bad backs, are too big to fit into certain areas, too short to efficiently work on particular things. Work as hard as you're capable (may be in different ways than other people on the site depending on each one's personal strengths.) As you do more work you should become stronger and more fit with muscles you didn't even know you had and which a gym can't give you. But why put yourself & coworkers at risk by attempting things you can't do safely, just to prove a point.
As far as makeup & revealing things - eh, not sure why anyone would wear those things on a job site anyway. That's like wearing makeup to the dermatologist! I guess if it were really hot you might want to wear less clothing, but it needn't be gratuitous. And there's always the chance that the men on your jobsite could be color-blind and they'd never know you were wearing a pink tool belt :P
the builder doin liberty bell's house down the street is a woman.
i know that there has been a trend in the construction industry towards female owned / run companies (at least in residential) due to the fact that many of the clients who are dealing with the contractors on a day to day basis are women. Women (and their husbands/boyfriends/girlfriends) feel more comfortable having female construction workers in their homes
this is a reason that places such as Home Depot have made more of an effort to cater to woman
i thought this was a thread about trespassing...
Home Depot caters to the Republican party.
Home Depot's CEO, and the father of an old elemntary school friend.
Nice guy. Let us watch "The Fly" and play with the ouiji board at 3 AM.
i think every large corporation caters to the Republican party....hell, the democrats cater to the Republican party
"I didn't know they let 18-year-old girls on the job site."
-said to me by my own consultant the other day. jerk.
I thought this would be more like the CHG (cute hipster girl) pic of the day thread.
of course no one should tolerate a working environment where you are consistently marginalized or disrespected for the purposes of running you off (or any purposes for that matter). But you have to be prepared for locker-room talk when you enter into ANY enviroment where you're the only female (same goes for guys that walk into a hen party for that matter). The point is that you won't do yourself a favor by reacting and causing a fuss over some swearing or low-level humor. If you find yourself getting unsolicted attention and it makes you feel vulnerable or scared, yes of course make the decision to either speak up or find work elsewhere. It's one thing to overhear a joke about boobs. It's another thing for the joke to be about YOUR boobs. Use common sense.
An example: On the day we rolled trusses, we all worked our butts off, not stopping for breaks because the crane was on the site by the hour. When finished, the guy next to me puts his hand into the waistband of his pants and sighs, "All I need right now is a beer and a..." looks at me..."uh, a sandwich". (he meant to say blowjob but thought better of it)
Be the bigger person, realize that guys have a certain immaturity when together, and find a way to fit in that doesn't compromise your integrity.
So as a female arch student with NO construction background whatsoever... where do I begin? Where do you get the skills to start off with so you can prove your worth?
You'll have to start out as a laborer or sometimes they have "carpenter's helper"...both of which means they can pay you their base rate. I found this rate to still be higher what I would have made at my previous college jobs in retail so no biggie for me.
I started with my professors, asking them if they knew anyone they would recommend I contact for summer work. Those were dead ends for me, so I decided to call up a couple of the larger construction firms in my area. I chose residential construction firms as they seemed easier to get a foot in the door. It was a bit scary, but I managed to get a g.c. or two on the phone and just said "Hi I'm an architecture student and I want to work construction for the summer and learn about the building process - do you have an open entry level position?" Most of these companies are pretty willing if you are honest about your lack of experience but convince them that you will work hard and will accept a starter's pay rate.
Oh and these operations are like any architecture firm you might apply to - they're too busy to chase after you so you need to be aggressive and show them you're serious. Don't leave messages and expect the g.c to call back someone looking for a laborer's position - it's on you to make the connection.
also, be prepared to "tool up"...most companies will require you to have bags, a hammer, a speed square, measuring tape....you get the idea. Some places will let you charge to the local builders' store and it comes out of your paycheck. it would be good to do some homework prior to starting so that you understand basic building technology. The rest will be baptism by fire. good luck to you!
Hi
In South Africa, being a female in any construction related industry gets a lot of criticesm sometimes. However famous south africn architect Kate Otten, got respect from all her construction coworkers after climbing up a ladder on site while being very far pregnant and has been free of criticism since. Guess you just have to show that as a female you can do anything they can and earn their respect
Yeah, you just tell them to fuck off in Spanish and you'll be greeted with surprise at first, but then they'll do anything you say just because you can speak Spanish. It ends up working out pretty well sometimes.
got to love a lass in a hard hat
Clairito;
I got my first summer construction job at a small contracting company that did historic renovations. I offered to work the first week for free if they did not think I was valulable. They kept me (paid) all summer. I worked with an all guy crew. I got lots of horrible assignments like demolition of old plaster walls, stripping paint from fireplaces, hauling bags of plaster to the third floor, prepping walls for the plasterer. etc. So did the other 'helper' guys. I learned a lot. The rest of the crew was fine- they knew I worked just as hard as they did. I was kind of a novelty that broke up the day- they regularly asked me for girl friend advice. Maybe I was not as strong, and couldn't carry two bags of plaster to the third floor at a time, but I was way better at the meticulous work. The summer before I had done drafting at an engineering company, and was treated much worse, sexually harassed, cornered in the print room, pornography left on my desk, etc. You are just as likely to find a bad situation in an office as you are at a construction site. Maybe more- at least at the construction site, they are more up front about it, and you can just shut them down without them firing you. Of course, don't flirt, don't dress like a slut, don't play weak girl, don't expect them to do your work for you, do bring cookies the first day to share.
Thanks guys. I really appreciate the advice :-)
I used to work on a masonry crew that was about half female. It took me a couple years to get on the crew because it was the best crew in town, and in high demand. They were all well respected on every site I was on with them, mostly because they were badasses at their trade and super confident.