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Women in Leadership
Name: Megan Wilkinson
Role: Social Impact and Inclusion Lead
Company: BAM Nuttall LTD
A bit about you: I am 23 years old and live in Newcastle upon Tyne. I joined BAM in March 2021 through an internship as a Culture and Diversity Advisor, then, in September 2021, I took on a maternity leave cover role as the Social Impact and Inclusion Lead. Having studied Maths, Geography and Drama at A-Level, I then went on to study BA Honours in Anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. I have always very much enjoyed learning about society and culture. In my personal life, I adore musical theatre and, also, I partake in Korean language classes as well as Taekwondo.
What is it like working in your company? BAM Nuttall is an incredible company to work with as they strive to support your career progression and my colleagues are whole heartedly supportive and friendly. Although I have worked from home since I joined the company, there are many colleagues who feel more so like friends. It has also been incredibly rewarding to work for BAM as they allow you to make your own choices in which you can see the outcome of your work. Being in a People Business Function, it is brilliant to see the great work that our projects do regarding social impact and social value as well as equality, diversity and inclusion, something I am very proud to be a part of. We really do love celebrating our people.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field? Whilst applying to university, I somewhat fell into the Anthropology course. My university did not have a course for Human Geography and so Anthropology and Sociology were the closest options. However, I instantly fell in love with my degree. I became so fascinated by the people around us as well as the many sociological and cultural phenomena. Once graduated, I knew I wanted to find a career which combined people, culture, and research.
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position? I completed a BA Honours Degree in Anthropology. Afterwards, I took up the offer of a 6-month Internship at BAM Nuttall, which then led me to the maternity cover that I am now in until September 2022.
What do you enjoy the most about your job? The aspect of my job which I enjoy the most would certainly be being able to see the outcome of the work that I do. We produce a multitude of good practice case studies and create policies and procedures which support inclusivity and equality within our workplace. Over the past year, I have also helped support several schemes and initiatives. Not only has this helped shape the business but the positive impact on my colleagues and the communities in which we work in has been evident.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career? Whilst only having been in my career for just over one-year now, it has been incredibly interesting navigating to workplace. It is a different environment from being in college and/or university. I have learnt many skills and have had to overcome obstacles such as understanding the expectations of the company. These include, but are not limited to, your communication skills, time management and work ethic. My biggest challenges have been learning to support tenders and delivering brilliant responses as well as creating business cases to present to our leadership team. However, we all must acknowledge that we all continually learn and strive to better ourselves. Everything comes in time.
Why do you think it is important to have a strong female representation in your industry? We all know the benefits of having a diverse workforce and having strong female representation is one of these facets. Different individuals bring different traits, different goals, and different perspectives. In having this great variety within our industry and workforce, we can add to the conversations had and the work done, providing better, more holistic, insights. This undeniably improves the quality and innovation of the work that we produce.
What advice would you give those wanting to take a similar career path? My advice would be to have the confidence to try various paths. Initially, I reached out to a colleague before I joined BAM to get some advice and input on my CV as they were also in the career which I wished to enter. In doing so, I showed drive and passion. This eventually led to securing an internship. Do not be afraid to reach out for advice in attaining your goals, you never know what outcomes may occur in doing so.
