The Challenges and Advantages of Being a Woman in Construction

Bhavna Nim, Sarah Nario, and Alex Janota are just three of Flintco's many female professionals succeeding in the heavily male-dominated construction industry. On this episode of the Flintco Forward podcast, host Shelby Skrhak sat down with these three successful women to discuss their different pathways to a career in construction and offer advice for the next generation in the industry. A mere 9% of the construction industry is comprised of women, and only 3% are employed in hands-on production roles as opposed to administration, human resources and marketing roles that make up the bulk of jobs in construction. Though they've found a home at Flintco, which has been a repeat winner of Constructech magazine's “Women in Construction” awards, Nim, Nario, and Janota will tell you they've faced plenty of obstacles getting to where they are now. Family members told Janota, a project manager at Flintco and Vice President of the Austin chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction, to consider choosing "something a little more feminine like nursing or teaching," she said. Nim, virtual design and construction manager for Flintco, said she's also experienced these types of microaggressions. "But I wasn't going to be dissuaded," Nim said. Nario, a senior estimator at Flintco, has found at least one surprising advantage to being a woman in the male-dominant construction industry. "I think my presence actually keeps people in check with regards to their attitudes and behavior," she said.