If we can’t support our own generation, how do we encourage the next?

Hannah Lloyd, Business Development Manager, Built Environment – Smarter Transformation 

I didn’t end up working in the property sector on purpose – at my core I am a marketer and business development manager, but I got a job in the industry early on and loved it.  As part of my own development, I joined Women in Property – I needed to get to know industry people - and very quickly got involved in the committee, event organisation and discovered the mentoring programme. 

I was mentored in 2021 and, at the same time, offered myself as a mentor.   At that time I was looking to change jobs but felt very conflicted through feelings of loyalty to my then employer, so I needed an external, impartial voice.  That experience really demonstrated to me the positives of mentoring, so it was just a matter of time before I was matched with a mentee.

My mentee is based in the south of England, I’m in South Ayrshire, which shows how flexible the WiP programme is – as well as being cross-discipline, matching is very carefully done, irrespective of location.

Personal reset

I have found the whole Mentor role to be really valuable, personally.  Through the conversations we have had it has reminded me of my own priorities. Following our mentoring conversations it has reminded me to take the time to ask myself how I want to progress and what steps I need to take to make that happen.  Just talking these things through with my mentee provided that positive trigger for me too.

I’ve seen lots of very successful mentoring relationships and have a number of informal mentors myself – women I have got to know well through networking and positions with WiP on committees and boards.  Women working in construction generally want to help, encourage and support each other and mentoring is one great way of doing this.  I see it as fundamental to how we develop this industry – If we don’t support our own friends, colleagues and, in this case, mentees, how do we encourage the next generation, giving them happy, successful role models?