Tough Duty: Building a foundation for a career in construction
12 years in the military will toughen up anyone. For Emily Heim, a dozen years in the Army prepared her for a career in construction—in more ways than one. Joining the service out of high school, Heim originally had hoped to become a watercraft mechanic but received training as an electrician instead. Finding the work interesting, but limiting, she opted into a course for construction superintendents and was hooked. She had found her calling but moving from the military to the private sector proved to be more difficult than she expected. “My biggest challenge when I left the Army was finding a way to translate my skills to an employer,” she says. “It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to communicate my capabilities.”
Heim admits she felt lost at first and was struggling in her first construction job when she learned about NAWIC, the National Association of Women in Construction. For her it was a godsend. “If it wouldn’t have been for NAWIC I never would have made it. I was unaware of the nuances of the construction world, Heim says, “They gave me people I could call on to help me navigate the industry. In particular, they helped me understand how to translate my experience in the military to the private sector.”
Some of the best advice she received was simply to believe in herself more and to show the toughness she had built up in her military service. “The women in NAWIC were constantly telling me to stop doubting myself and that I was capable of more than I would think. The NAWIC chapter in Charlotte was the best sounding board I ever had.”
Tough is: “Showing up every day, no matter what.”
Asked what does being tough mean to her, she answered, “Being tough means having resiliency and the ability to apply that resiliency. It’s demonstrating a level of grittiness that’s beyond measure, it’s staying cool under pressure. It’s showing up every day no matter how bad it was the day before.” She shares that an example of her toughness was when she decided to transition from her previous employer to her current company, Weis Builders, where she is a superintendent. “My previous company wasn’t aligning with my values as a person. I didn’t know where to go from there. But I put myself out there. I began to gain confidence. NAWIC people kept telling me you’re way better than what you think. They helped me get somewhere to where I can soar and fly.”
Emily does feel that it takes a certain amount of toughness for women to succeed in the male-dominated industry of construction. She describes how she has had to battle stereotypes. “Even though some companies support their female employees, there is still plenty of mistrust of women and their capabilities,” she says. “Or we get overlooked. You can tell sometimes that it’s stacked against you.” She recounts occasions where certain people wouldn’t return her calls, but they would for her male assistant. At Weis she has had much better experiences. “They give you space at the meeting. They ask your opinion, and they take that opinion and apply it. They value your input and guidance. They make sure that people speak to you.”
Heim goes on to say that there are misconceptions about women in construction that she would like to change. “A big one is that we’re emotional, but it’s really the opposite.” She continued that women lead from a point of reason and clarity. “When we get passionate, they see us as being emotional, but it’s not that. A man can throw a temper tantrum one day and not be thought less of the next. Women should get the same leeway.”
Advice for women building a career in construction
She suggests that women building a career in construction should tune out the noise. “My biggest advice is don’t let the background chatter get to you. It doesn’t matter,” she says. “Find a male ally or female sister at NAWIC and find someone who can be a sounding board for you.” She describes how women from NAWIC have given her a big boost of confidence as well as her supervisor, who is male. “Weis Builders in general has never made me feel like oh, I’m female. Our culture is to fill positions with the best person for the job. Our CFO is a woman, we have a female leading our HR dept, as well as other female VPs.”
Heim wants to emphasize that women can translate their skills and toughness from other professions just as she was encouraged to do by NAWIC members in her career. And that NAWIC chapter in North Carolina that was so supportive? Heim is now Vice President and is helping to guide other women forward in their construction careers. Has it been tough for her to find ways to pass on the advice that she received that made such a difference for her? “No,” she chuckles, “That’s the easiest duty I ever had.”
