Work Placement – Belul Mesfin
As part of our commitment to Women into Construction, and promoting gender equality in our industry, we are delighted to be offering work placements to help individuals gain an insight into the different roles available in construction.
We caught up with one of our latest work experience candidates, Belul Mesfin, a recent graduate who is almost halfway through her work experience at our Brent Cross Town project.
On her first day Belul met with several members of our site team to discuss the work placement, after which goals were set for her to make the most of her placement.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
“I am a recent MSc Construction and Engineering Management graduate, with a BA (Hons) in Business Management and Marketing. Whilst studying for my bachelor’s degree I realised that management and leadership were something I enjoyed and was keen to learn more about it in a specific industry.”
What interests you about a career in construction?
“Construction is an industry that is constantly evolving. The techniques, materials and technology continue to develop over time, this allows the industry to be quite innovative with their approach to successful project delivery.
Construction projects, irrespective of size, tend to have a positive impact on the community in which they are being delivered. This is something that excites me as I have a feeling that this aspect of project delivery will be quite rewarding.
In this industry you are not just dealing with the workers, but with consultants, subcontractors, external stakeholders and the public. It’s a job where you need to wear a different hat for different roles.”
Describe your experience so far whilst working with Galldris?
“My experience so far, has been amazing! At the start of the placement, I was quite nervous as I thought it would be quite an intimidating environment, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Everybody on site has been extremely welcoming and have made me feel very comfortable.
Through shadowing several different team members on site, I have been able to see the different roles people play within a project and how all these roles integrate with each other to achieve various project goals. Being on site daily allows me to be up close and personal with all the changes that are happening on this huge project.
Being from the London Borough of Barnet myself, it’s been great to gain an insight on what works were being carried out on site and what this Brent Cross Town project will become in the future.”
Which aspect of the work experience are you enjoying the most?
“I am thoroughly enjoying working with some amazing people on this project, they are really helping me get a better understanding on what goes into the project and witnessing the changes that occur on a daily basis on site.
Also, it is great to see a female project manager Isa Ribeiro overseeing the whole site, particularly seeing as construction is known to be such a male dominated industry.”
Did you think you will benefit from undertaking work experience?
“Certainly! This was my very first work experience on a construction site and for it to be on such a large and prestigious project, it has enabled me to see all the different roles throughout the project and get a better understanding as to what each of these roles entail.”