Taking great pleasure in overcoming stereotypes and proving people wrong
In celebration of International Women in Engineering Day, we’re focusing on those working in the BEMS industry and hear from Zoe Dickson, Project Sales Engineer at SSE.
In recent years, the number of female professionals in the construction industry has increased significantly. However, there is still much more that the industry can do to encourage more women to begin engineering and BEMS careers.
As an organisation keen to highlight the experienced and highly skilled women working in the building controls industry, the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) spoke to Zoe Dickson, a Project Sales Engineer at SSE, about her experiences in the sector.
Although Zoe reveals that she is often seen as having no technical knowledge, she thrives on surprising people on the depth and breadth of her expertise, having garnered plenty of engineering knowledge during her years in the industry.
She said: “Reducing energy wastage and lowering carbon consumption is something I’ve been passionate about for a long time, and I get a strong sense of purpose and fulfilment from knowing I’m doing my bit for the environment. My role is particularly satisfying as it combines utilising my engineering knowledge alongside building relationships with different people to deliver successful projects, directly benefiting the end user.
“I’m one of the few females in my company, one of even fewer in a technical role, but I’m used to being in the minority from my time in school and university. I don’t often feel isolated, however, I ensure I have strong connections to the inspiring women I have around me for guidance if necessary. I do sometimes suffer from imposter syndrome and often feel the need to prove myself, especially since I haven’t come from a hands-on engineering background, but I know I have unwavering support from my team. In sales, I can often be initially perceived to have no technical knowledge, so I enjoy surprising people with this!”
The need to promote more inclusivity
Zoe is keen for the industry to do more to encourage women to take up BEMS and engineering careers, highlighting the importance of promoting inclusivity. She said: “The industry needs to continue to highlight successful women as role models for younger women to aspire to. We also need to shout about their achievements, rather than people assuming their success is due to their gender.
“I’d like to see higher numbers of women in senior management to promote more inclusive work environments – I’m aware this has improved since my mum was an engineer but generational sexist attitudes still exist. My goal for the year is to create a community within the BCIA where women can share experience and advice within a supportive network across different member companies.
“I hope that in the future, the building controls industry will see increased levels of overall diversity, not limited to gender alone. Drawing from a broader pool of talent will help address the industry-wide resourcing issue and skill shortages. Diverse teams bring a wider variety of perspectives, skillsets and problem-solving abilities, and have been proven to perform better.
“Employees from different backgrounds and experiences can better understand and reflect a wider customer base, helping to more effectively meet the challenges faced by a rapidly growing industry.”
While Zoe is just one of many talented women working in the rewarding building controls sector, it’s important to encourage even more. This can be done through increased opportunities, education, and encouragement.
The BCIA looks forward to playing its part in furthering these opportunities and increasing understanding of this fascinating and rewarding career.