Site Manager - Charlene Jarvis

Charlene Jarvis,
Age 27

Qualifications
BSc Construction Management

What encouraged you to join the construction industry?
Originally I wanted to be an Architect, then I did some work experience and realised just how many jobs there are in construction, so did some research and chose a different education route.

What do you do day to day?
I'm situated on site, but in an office. I organise the subcontractor's work and have to assess Health & Safety, checking that all of the jobs are done correctly, in the appropriate order and to the right standard.
I have to attend a lot of meetings with the design team, subcontractors and clients and arrange specific Health & Safety meetings.

Good bits and bad bits about your job?
The good side is the variety; you never know what sort of day you'll get. I work in a very relaxed office and there's a great team spirit with a lot of banter, then at the end of the day you get to see what you've built and say I helped to do that - it's very rewarding.
In the winter when it's dark, cold and wet and you're on site at 7:30 am you can often wonder what you're doing!

What surprised you about the construction industry?
I think it all came as a bit of a surprise to me, because when you're at University you don't actually know what to expect from working on site - it takes some getting used to. I think it's the scale of some of the jobs both physically and financially - the first job I worked on cost £35 million! And the time table of work can be gruelling, although not many people realise.

If you were to recommend your job to someone else, what would you say?
I'd say go for it! Each day is different; you'll meet some great people. It's a challenge, but it's rewarding. As a woman you have to be determined, you'll need to prove yourself and know what you're doing - you're not just there to make the statistics look good.

What are your hobbies/ interests?
I enjoy socialising with friends and family, going to the cinema and travelling. When on holiday I do like to look at the different styles of architecture and I can't resist having a look into any construction sites that I might pass to see how things are being done!