Housebuilding and me: Ann McGivern, Durkan

October 19, 2018 / Keith Osborne
Housebuilding and me: Ann McGivern, Durkan

Bringing more women into onsite roles is a hot topic right now in housebuilding circles, and here we speak to Ann McGivern about her career, considerable industry experience and recently taken role as site manager for developer and contractor Durkan.

Please tell us about your role at Durkan and what took you there.

I’m responsible for making sure the day-to-day running of a construction site goes smoothly. It’s my job to ensure our work is done right, safely and on time. I’m fairly new to this particular role but I’ve spent my whole career in the construction industry.

I started right out of college as a resident liaison officer and worked across many different sites and projects before becoming an assistant site manager. It was a big step moving to site manager, but my many years’ experience in the sector gave me the skills I needed to rise to the challenge.

What work challenges does your role entail, and what gives you most satisfaction to overcome?

At the moment I’m working on a refurbishment project in the London Borough of Southwark. This is my first site manager role and I’m solely responsible for the smooth running of the project. I’m finding new challenges every day, but really enjoying working out how to solve them.

There are tenants in occupation at the site, so it’s important to make sure there’s open communication with them at all times. Ultimately, if the residents are happy and the client is happy then I’m satisfied.

How did you react to combining work and college study?

On top of my day-to-day work, I had the opportunity to go back to college when I started my site manager training. This was something I really enjoyed. In my first year, I’d spend an hour or two studying after work and progressed fairly quickly. I found the second year tougher, because the course covered areas that I hadn’t encountered before or had very little experience of. I’m happy to say I soon picked it up and have now finished the course – my results are due shortly, so fingers crossed!

It was hard at times to combine long work hours with college study, but it was generally a very positive experience and has allowed me to take the next step in my career.

Are there specific professional and personal skills that would make someone especially suited to your role in the housebuilding sector?

I’ve been in construction for over 20 years, starting out as a resident liaison officer. Customer service skills were essential to this role, as well as a good grasp of IT. I think having good people skills and an affinity for those you work with or on behalf of are still vital skills as a site manager. There are so many different people to manage onsite, whether residents, subcontractors or our own company staff, it’s essential that I understand any concerns or issues as soon as they arise so we can find a solution.

You also need to be highly organised, knowing what’s going on at all times and who is due to be on site that day. Lots of these skills can be picked up; I learnt on the job from other managers as well as in a classroom as part of my NVQ and Diploma studies.

Have you seen more women getting involved in onsite jobs in recent years?

Yes, there are definitely more women in the industry now compared to when I started out. I’ve certainly noticed more female assistant site managers and site managers coming through which is fantastic. There’s also a noticeable increase in young women studying for construction-based careers in college.

There’s still more work to do and I think it’s really important to have female role models onsite. It helps to show that it’s not remarkable for women to be in construction and we’re as capable of doing these jobs as anyone.

Do you have any advice for anyone considering the property industry as a career path?

There are so many opportunities out there and I really think there’s a career for everyone when it comes to construction. Take the time to research them and see what might be a good fit for you. And it’s always good to remember that when you join the industry there are lots and lots of options for progression or career change.

 

Did you like this? Share it: