Jenna Strover, head of commercial delivery at Potter Space, discusses her 15 years of career experience of building surveying and project management
With nearly 15 years in the construction industry, Jenna Strover, head of commercial delivery at Potter Space, has worked with both private and public sector clients.
Outside of her career, Jenna’s passion lies in heritage buildings, and she is a long-time volunteer (and board member) for the Leeds Civic Trust.
How did you choose to get into building surveying?
I spent the first two years of my career in property studying architecture at Leeds Metropolitan University, and despite achieving good grades I realised that this just wasn’t the discipline for me. Luckily, the head of my year at university took the time to question what parts of the course I did enjoy, and together we discovered that I was more interested in the building process and the technology used in construction rather than the overall aesthetics and design.
Before this conversation, I had never heard of building surveying and after researching what it would look like as a career, I decided to change disciplines. Even though it meant starting again from square one, studying the two years of architecture still proved useful in helping to provide me with a slightly different perspective than many of my course mates, as well as giving experience in using CAD which really helped me stand out at the beginning.
As a result of my new course requiring three years study plus one in the middle for a work placement, my career in building surveying started quite early. I was lucky enough that my year’s work placement ended with me being offered a full-time position, with the company (Stace LLP) also paying for me to continue my studies part-time. These formative years were crucial in my career as not only did it mean that I was able to start gaining experience when my classmates (who were all male) were still studying, but I also managed to secure employment at a time when many people were unfortunately out of work due to the recession.
How did you choose your specialism?
Over the course of my career, I’ve tried to be careful of being ‘pigeonholed’ and have gone out of my way to try and make sure that I have received as much experience in the world of building surveying as possible.
Moving to Colliers is where I gained my industrial and logistics experience from dilapidations to pre-acquisition surveys and learned more about core defects that you can’t really get from a book. In the end, after working with some really great businesses and gaining as much experience as I could, I decided that I wanted to pursue project management.
By putting in the work and giving myself a well-rounded education in every element of the role, I was able to choose a career path that I knew I was going to love.
What is a typical day in your life?
There really is no such thing as a ‘typical day’ at Potter Space.
I love being involved with everything from marketing activity, liaising with customers, directing budgets and project planning. My usual ‘bread and butter’ work includes working closely with architects and being part of the decision-making process for schemes. It also, unfortunately, means writing a lot of reports. In terms of time allocation, I would usually split this between working from home, in the office and at least one of our sites each week. I really enjoy variety, and working on site with contractors, building relationships with customers and getting in some office days to bond with my team is ideal.
My role also suits my ultra-organised personality, and I get a lot of satisfaction from a job well done.
What is it like to be a woman in construction?
With construction being a male dominated industry, there may be the need for a shift in focus when it comes to the culture that can dominate on a building site. We see a lot of the conversations around achieving gender parity in the workplace that is focusing on removing the ‘boys will be boys’ attitudes that can be off-putting to a lot of people: not just women.
Conversely, there can also be issues with men in leadership positions not wanting to misstep or workmates finding it difficult or uncomfortable to speak with women in traditionally male-dominated roles on the off-chance that they may make a mistake.
How can more women be attracted to the industry?
I think attracting a wider demographic to the industry goes deeper than mere representation. I attended an all-girl’s grammar school and I had never heard of building surveying as a career path, and when I expressed an interest in building and construction, they guided me towards architecture. It’s great now that apprenticeships are available through colleges, but without knowing that a career like surveying exists, how can we expect to see more people coming into the industry?
As people age out of roles, and the younger generation step up, there may be a shift towards discussing roles in a way that reflects the modern realities of life on a construction site. Perceptions about working in construction need to change. Changing the narrative to speak openly about the variety of positions available as well as not segregating these conversations by gender can help build a different culture and promote opportunities within the industry from a young age.
What does it take for a woman to ‘make it’ in a male dominated field?
The same thing as it takes for anybody to ‘make it’ in any field: Confidence.
When I was fresh out of university and walking onto a building site filled with men, I’ve experienced everything – from wolf-whistling to being questioned as to why I was on the site at all. Not allowing this to scare you away is essential. There are very few people, male or female, who would not be intimidated by that kind of experience, but in many ways it’s the same as starting new in any other role – as fresh meat, nobody feels completely confident on their first day at the office.
This probably goes for any job, but you also need to enjoy what you’re doing. The upside for building surveying is that there are so many different strands and specialisms within the role to choose from, which means there are also many opportunities to progress and make your own mark. Having lots of opportunities to choose from means it’s likely that you’ll be able to find something to enjoy within the umbrella of building surveying if you give it a chance.
What are some of your career highlights?
I worked with universities in one of my previous roles, which was really fun. The nature of the work and fitting it all in around term-times means it can be quite high pressure which is where I thrive. I also loved seeing some of the amazing buildings, such as Durham Castle, which have such a great history. Heritage buildings are my passion which is why I volunteer at the Leeds Civic Trust as a board member.
Another highlight is becoming chartered. It takes a lot of work to get those letters after your name and it has opened so many doors for me, not least to become part of the senior management team within Potter Space. I can now discuss my thoughts of how the business should be taken forward with confidence, and it’s made even more special as, within construction, it’s very rare for a woman to sit on the board, especially outside of London.
What advice would you give to girls considering a career in construction?
Go for it! There are ups and downs the same as any other job, but I’m really proud to say I’m a chartered building surveyor. I do try to give back by mentoring women who are entering the industry as much as possible., and I think it’s so important to have the confidence to push forwards and stick to your guns if this is something you really want to do.
It’s also important to make sure you have something that defines you outside of your career. I’m very lucky that through the Leeds Civic Trust I get to pursue my interest in heritage buildings, as they are so closely linked to what I do as a career. It’s a passion that I know will inspire me for many years to come.
