Women Like Me - Miss G, 26
1) Salary, include a breakdown of your budget and what your biggest expense is.
Monthly salary: £2,300
Breakdown of budget: £550 goes towards my rent which includes all my domestic bills (electricity, broadband, council tax etc). I chose to live in a bills inclusive shared accommodation to save money for a mortgage deposit as well as have some spare change to fund my travel plans cause seeing the world is important as life is not just for paying bills 😊
Left with £1,750, I put £500 towards my education fund which I’m currently using to fund my Master’s degree and saving for a doctorate, £500 in savings, £200 to my ISA account – I can’t deposit more than £200 to my ISA account which I’m using to save for a house deposit so I tend to put more in my savings, £50 to my investment portfolio, £50 to pay off my student overdraft, £100 to my travel fund (I map out my travel plans a year in advance so I usually have a rough idea on costs and gives more time to save for the said holiday). I use the surplus money to budget for other living expenses such as groceries, mobile phone bill, hairdressers, and impromptu emergencies.
I have recently got more confident at managing my money through researching and trying different money management styles. So here are some of my money tips:
Have a budget – it’s important to know where your money is going
Save for the rainy days
Sort out your insurances i.e. life insurance, income protection etc – tomorrow is not promised to anyone, give your family one less thing to worry about if anything happens to you.
Not all debt is bad debt some debt can be good i.e. a credit card can help you to build your credit score if used properly
There is rice at home!
2) What Industry do you work in?
Construction
3) How did you land your first job within the industry?
Through a graduate scheme - I joined a local network for students and professionals’ in construction during my first year in uni which gave me an opportunity to meet and network with a number of professionals. This helped me to map out what of companies I wanted to work for, get an insight on the company’s culture and research about the graduate schemes’ entry requirements from an early stage.
4) What motivates you?
Several things motivate me but the main one is the thought of disappointing the women who came before me, the women who ran so I could walk. My late mother who migrated to the UK so my brothers and I could get quality education and my grandmother.
Secondly, wanting to get better every day both on a personal and professional level.
5) Do you have any advise for others looking to enter or grow within the industry?
Have a goal(s) for what you want to achieve and a structured plan in place to help you achieve that goal(s). There will be roadblocks on the way but if you have a goal and a plan in place, you will thrive!
Also don’t downplay the importance networking, as days go by what you know matters less and who you know matters more especially in construction – it’s such a small industry, everyone knows everyone so network. Go to those after work drinks, attend networking events, get involved with extracurricular activities at work etc.
Lastly, be confident in yourself, what you know and never stop learning. And once you get your foot through the door, continue to explore and learn beyond your role to broaden your knowledge on other areas within the industry.