FACILITIES MANAGEMENT JOURNAL JOBS
FM CAREERS - CAREER LADDER
WOMEN IN ENGINEERING –
AN ENGINEER’S PERSPECTIVE
I’ve worked in the FM sector for just over seven years. I graduated from St Andrews University and then went
into an FM Apprenticeship in 2012. Since that point I’ve worked my way up to management level, completed
my MSc in FM and achieved Certifi ed status with the IWFM. As a young, female, facilities management
professional progressing through the sector, I’ve been in my fair share of challenging situations whereby my
demographic has been a problem for others. However, I joined Pareto FM, which has created one of the most
inclusive and progressive environments I have ever experienced within FM and I was interested to discuss with
the teams about how they felt working in such an environment. One of the key areas of progression for Pareto
is women in engineering positions. One of the hard services contracts I currently deliver for Pareto has a team
of three, two of which are women. I’ve never managed (nor seen) such a diverse engineering team before so I
took the time ask them about what it was like to be a young, female, engineer within the FM sector today.
How did you get into engineering
/ what made you want to be an
engineer?
Holly: I got into engineering through a
friend. I actually started out in hotels
which was both an interesting and
challenging environment. When I
began, I knew it wouldn’t be easy but I
also knew that I loved a challenge and
learning new things every day.
Farima: Throughout my life I always
loved solving puzzles and discovering
ways to make things work smarter and
easier. It didn’t occur to me at first but
a er a few dives into other careers I
found life leading me into engineering. I
haven’t looked back since!
What’s been your biggest
obstacle?
Holly: Working in the engineering
department in hotels is a challenge.
People can be quite judgemental and
o en don’t think of you as an engineer.
You also have to prove yourself to them,
to show that you can do things as well
as others. If you don’t work with the
right people then things can be really
tough. Both Farima and I have o en
felt marginalised but it hasn’t stopped
us striving to be the best engineers we
can be.
I’m not saying this typecasting is
prevalent across the industry and
it does completely depend on the
environment, but we have been met
with unconscious biased in the past;
comments such as “let me carry this
for you” because we’re women and
perceived as being weaker are common
and less subtle remarks like “ohh your
too pretty to be an engineer” can be
very undermining! There was even an
instance in a previous role when one
of us arrived on a new site and the
sta automatically assumed it was for
cleaning, it never even occurred to
them that their site engineer could be
a woman!
Farima: Before getting into engineering
I had always heard about the stigma
of women in STEM fields. I didn’t quite
understand it until I actually entered
the industry. At the beginning I o en felt
frustrated because, as the only woman
working on the teams, I felt the need to
prove myself and push myself above
and beyond what my male counter
parts would do. I also do not come from
England and had the additional burden
of navigating cultural di erences as
well. I learned a lot, and so did the
men around me and I believe we all
grew from those experiences. Now I
work for a company where gender and
cultural stereotypes are not barriers but
di erences to be celebrated.
What’s been the highlight of your
career so far?
Holly: Absolutely when I started working
for Pareto. I remember in my interview,
the MD telling about this great company
culture they had created, and when the
opportunity came I was so pleased to
be able to join.
Farima: I think the highlight of my
career goes hand in hand with my last
answer. I always want to bring an open
mind and build a work environment
which is cooperative. At my last role I
built some great friendships with men
Frankie Laugier-Davies MSc CIWFM
Account Manager at Pareto FM
who, prior to meeting me, may not
have been so open to working with
women (or middle eastern women!) and
had some reservations. I am happy to
say they are friends of mine now and
together we changed perspectives. I
think it’s those little steps in your local
community that make a big di erence
in the world around us.
If there was one thing you could
change about the industry you work
in what would it be?
Holly: For me, it’s just to change that
stigma around women in engineering
positions. Just to remove the oldfashioned
view that we can’t do things
as well as men. We are more than
capable of holding our own and just
need to be given the opportunity to
thrive. We’d never champion positive
discrimination but do encourage
employers to consider the requirements
of female engineers, particularly on
site where we’ve o en experienced
no women only changing facilities, or
worse still, no loos, which isn’t ideal!
Farima: I would love to educate people
more on what a job in engineering can
give you in life. It’s creative, challenging,
hands-on, and you get the opportunity
to shape the world around you. I
especially would like to see more
programs aimed at young people to
show them the value and opportunity
of working in this industry. There are
lots of opportunities! We would both
encourage any young woman who
is interested in engineering to take
the plunge and not allow negative or
stereotypical attitudes to influence their
decision, it’s a fantastically varied and
exciting career with huge opportunity
and one we both thoroughly enjoy.
Would you, or someone you know, like to be featured in our career ladder column? If you’re an operational
FM with more than 10 years’ experience in the sector, then email sara.bean@kpmmedia.co.uk
58 OCTOBER 2019
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