SANDY VAN SOMEREN Women in Construction Continued from page 24 ______________________________________ about the industry. “I had great success with the builder group and along the way was able to find great mentors to teach me and help me along.” Van Someren moved to Calgary to become the company's international sales manager, later becoming her former employer's branch manager. She then joined All Weather. Van Someren has noticed more women entering the field, but they share the common challenge of her pioneering experiences – she says she has a sense women have to work harder to be successful. “It may be an intangible and more of a feeling, but it takes a commit- ment to hit both business and per- sonal targets,” she says. Van Someren says women must participate and be engaged in the in- dustry's social community. “If you want to be seen as professional that professionalism has to be maintained through every event, every gathering, and every time you are in the presence of your colleagues.” Van Someren says the indus- try is vibrant and challenging. “In this industry you need a depth of knowledge of the market, under- standing economic indicators…. It is a challenge to stay up on but keeps things interesting.” She suggests women align with a company with similar val- ues, such as integrity and family support. She says women often have a keen eye for detail and can multi- task, with different strengths from their male colleagues. “That difference and the value of that difference is now being rec- ognized and sought after by companies so it presents a great deal of opportunity for women in the industry.” J US ANO TH ER JUST T ANOTHER C A S CASE E OF W NI DOW ENV WINDOW ENVY. Y. .Y Visit allweatherwindows.com to find allweatherwindows. com out why we stand out from the crowd, and don’t ’t be surprised if your job site don attracts more attention. OFFICIAL PARTNER P AR TNER A 000816.26. 01. 15 000816.26.01.15 The Canadian Design and Construction Report — February - March 2015 – 25