Women in construction

Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Cornelia Puscalau, one of our many talented site managers here at Elite Landscapes. Cornelia kindly found time to squeeze a little Q&A with us into her already busy schedule and allowed us to pick her brain on what it’s like being a woman in a predominantly male industry, and what advice she would offer to young women pursuing similar careers in construction.

Tell us a bit about how you started at Elite and what your roles have been so far:

I started at Elite Landscapes back in September 2016. I worked for 6 months on the Chelsea Creek project as an Assistant Site Manager and 1 year on I got the opportunity to work as a Site Engineer, surveying, creating drawings of the levels and depths, and generally undertaking more problem-solving responsibilities. After developing more skills and honing my craft, I decided to take another leap: becoming a Project Manager. Almost 5 years with the same company and I’ve never got bored. Elite gave me the chance to show the best version of myself and gave me an equal footing with my male colleagues.

What do you most enjoy about your role within Elite:

I enjoy the fact that nothing repeats itself. Every job is different and presents new challenges which is an exciting environment to work in. I also like that I am treated fairly and am presented with the same opportunities as my male colleagues. Because of this foundation, I had the courage to reach the top of the management team and lead a project in an industry dominated by men.

“Landscaping is where you can free your imagination”

Your proudest moment working for Elite:

My proudest professional moment was when I was asked to take the step into a Project Management role by my contract manager. It gave me such a feeling of importance, respect and trust...it's hard to describe it in words!

What advice would you offer other young professional women who are looking to join the landscaping industry:

My advice would be to never give up. Follow your dreams and more importantly your instinct. Construction is a tough industry, and you need to have a good, strong knowledge of the technical aspect as well as possessing an eye for beauty. Landscaping is where you can free your imagination. It’s a different way to express yourself and when it’s done, you can step back and enjoy what you’ve all created and take in the happiness it brings those around you. Years later you can look back and be proud that you gave/maintained the life of a beautiful tree for generations to enjoy.