Editor’s note: Today’s final installment in Haskell.com’s weeklong Women in Construction Week series comes from Project Manager Courtney Linn, who shares her personal story of professional growth and the environment in which it was nurtured.
I started with Haskell in 2018 as a Construction Intern. My internship was an opportunity to show I was a qualified pick for permanent employment and to determine for myself if Haskell was the right company for me to begin my career. As any new intern, I was nervous about making a good impression and forming relationships with both my male and female coworkers.
Going into the construction industry, I was also anxious about the tales I previously had been told of those who were not as accustomed to women working in construction roles alongside their male counterparts. I wanted to be an example of what it looked like to work just as hard as anyone else and that my skills could be an asset to any team.
Little did I know before I started with Haskell that I never needed to be anxious, because of the foundations laid by the women that came before me to Haskell. During my first and second summers with Haskell, I met a large group of women in construction-related roles who all were passionate about the same career and the same company.
On Day 1, female coworkers ranging from Assistant Project Managers to Project Managers to the Chief of Staff and other interns put forth the effort and introduced themselves. There were group lunches, informative learning sessions and conference days set up multiple times a month to spend time together and grow as a unit. The time and internal efforts put into establishing those relationships helped me gain even more confidence in my career and company choice. Those moments helped me envision a strong future at Haskell.
I’ve been with Haskell full-time for three years now, and those relationships and bonding moments continue. Even after being on-site for over a year, I feel fully connected. I know if I ever call one of my female coworkers, they will be there to help me, whether it be work- or life-related.
The women in leadership roles have had the biggest impact. Their excitement alone in seeing other women thriving in what’s still largely a male-dominated field was enough to sell me on Haskell’s culture. Now, I feel that same excitement when I see a new female in construction management around the office or in the field. Without hesitation, my first instinct is to connect, because that is how I was welcomed when I started.
What sets Haskell apart is not just the quantity of females working in the construction field but the bond between those women, some of whom are my mentors and others my closest friends. Haskell also continues to retain those dedicated women year after year. We all actively participate in recruiting events to help bring in new diverse talent. We know what Haskell’s culture can bring to the table for a woman in the industry.
As Haskell continues to evolve, I continue to meet amazing women who have chosen to call this career path and this company home. I look so forward to being an active part of Haskell’s growing community of women, continuing to make memories and form strong friendships along the way.
About the author: Project Manager Courtney Linn is a native of Illinois and earned her bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from Illinois State University. She has worked full-time on three Haskell projects and currently is assigned to a large greenfield food manufacturing facility for a confidential client in the Northwestern U.S., where she oversees facility-related scopes.
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