Following Her Heart to Choose a Career in the Electrical Trade
In celebration of Women in Construction Week, we’d like to recognize our Estimator/Project Manager, Erica Menard-Johnston.
In celebration of Women in Construction Week, we’d like to recognize our Estimator/Project Manager, Erica Menard-Johnston. She says it was rare to see a woman on construction sites back in the early 2000s, but today, women are filling construction job sites and offices. “I was questioned throughout my career on why I would want to do this type of work. I always said it’s so important to do something that you love, and not what other people think you should be doing.”
Erica was a student and collegiate athlete at the University of Massachusetts, and upon graduation she worked for a small Web Design/Marketing company. At the time, her friend was working on The Big Dig temporary power scope in Boston. “He talked about construction and the excitement in Boston, and it sparked my interest,” she said.
As a child, Erica loved taking things apart and putting them back together. She had a part time job at Radio Shack and took an elective course in Electrical Engineering as an undergraduate.
Erica agreed to help her friend with electrical side jobs pulling wire and working with her hands and was quickly convinced. “I went against the grain of my background and took the plunge,” she said. Looking back, she’s spent 22 years in the field and the last three in the office.
“The industry has been rewarding with amazing opportunities to work on historical projects, community landmarks, and over-all cool experiences that I never would have been apart of if I didn’t become an electrician.”
Erica enjoys the fast-paced, challenging work of the Electrical Industry, and her advice for others considering this career is simple. “Always try to be productive, bring a good attitude, strive to work well with others, and be open-minded to new ways of doing things.
“It is most rewarding to complete a project within budget, on schedule, and gain customer requests for future projects. I enjoy this work so much – no regrets.”
