Building a Brighter Future for Women in Construction

The Power of Connection

The podcast began with hosts Gardner and Powell sharing how they initially connected on LinkedIn during the pandemic. What started as a simple professional conversation blossomed into a friendship and eventually led to the creation of their podcast Women Talk Construction. Powell, with 26 years of experience in the construction industry, emphasized how valuable it was to finally have a connection who understood her in the professional world. 

This theme of building positive and powerful connections was the basis for forming their podcast–ensuring no one feels isolated in the construction industry. Their efforts have clearly resonated, with their show now reaching 76 countries and thousands of listeners. What started with a chance online meeting has grown into a global voice for women in construction.

Women in Construction

The conversation also addressed the ongoing challenge of attracting women to construction careers. Dr. Erdogmus spoke about her former student's research that revealed misconceptions about our industry–especially among female high school students–who predominantly associated construction with physically demanding outdoor labor rather than the diverse, technologically advanced career options actually available.

“My Master’s student at Georgia Tech did a survey of high school students, female students, and asked, what do you think when you hear the word construction? Their response was: ‘Well, it's hard work. It's in the elements.’ Very traditional descriptions. We asked, are you interested or not? And the majority of that group was not interested.” – Ece Erdogmus

To combat these misconceptions, Dr. Erdogmus suggested that increasing visibility and encouragement from school career counselors could go a long way in inspiring younger generations (especially young women) to consider construction careers.

Additionally, outlets like the Women in Construction podcast are doing a fantastic job of bringing more attention to female voices in the construction industry–highlighting successful women in the construction industry and helping to create the examples needed to draw more women to the field.

“There's research showing high school teachers and counselors may not understand all the options in our field. So, they may not necessarily be guiding the students this way…We need more examples and discussion around it…But you all are amazing doing this job with the podcast.” – Ece Erdogmus

Finally, Dr. Erdogmus touched on the ability of women to address the critical shortage of construction management professionals throughout the industry. 

“We have labor and CM shortage in the nation. So we do need women to come over and join the workforce!” – Ece Erdogmus

The Value of Mentorship

The conversation concluded with Dr. Erdogmus discussing her views on mentorship as a cornerstone of professional development in the construction industry. She has found that the most effective mentoring relationships often develop naturally through shared interests and genuine connection–often starting with a simple conversation or question.

"If someone comes and says, 'Hey, how do you deal with this kind of challenge,' I will pour my heart and soul out." – Ece Erdogmus

She emphasized her openness to sharing experiences with those seeking guidance, and encouraged anyone looking for a mentor to just take the leap and reach out.

“If you're the mentee to be, don't be shy, reach out to someone, ask a question, even ask to have a coffee. A lot of times, the answer might be 'I can’t because I’m too busy.' Or the answer could be ‘Sure, I’m free now, what do you have?” – Ece Erdogmus

Finally, Dr. Erdogmus also offered options for those who want to mentor the next generation of construction professionals.

“If you're looking to mentor, we absolutely have students [looking for mentors]. So there are ways we can hook you up to mentor students.” – Ece Erdogmus