Women marketers – Susannah, Melanie and Jennie. Photo supplied by: SHE DEFINED
Woman marketers thriving in male-dominated industries
Shaw Landscape Groups very own Mel spoke to SHE DEFINED for their latest story about women marketers who are making waves in male-dominated industries. Melanie Judd, 30, began her marketing career working for a leading fashion and beauty public relations agency in Sydney. She enjoyed the glamourous side of the job and said it gave her a great foundation for understanding the media and marketing space.
Now, as marketing manager and head of client experience at Shaw Landscape Group, Judd admits she had to adapt when shifting from a corporate background to working in the landscape construction industry.
“The type of conversations you have in an office environment is different to when you’re on a construction site. If I go out to a site for social media content, most of the time I am the only female… it can be intimidating and, at times, I can feel out of place. But I tell myself I’m there to do a job and not to think about it too much,” she said.
Despite working in a male-dominated industry, Judd said she thankfully has never experienced feeling lonely or isolated in her job. The company she works for currently has four women on the team, including a female general manager, a female landscape designer, and a female landscape construction apprentice.
“As ladies, we do stand out working in a trade industry, but I believe by standing out we are able to really shine,” Judd said.
“I believe it’s very important to have female role models working in the landscape construction industry. Women bring great energy, new perspectives, ideas, creativity, and a softness – other companies are missing out if they don’t have that.”
Judd said she wants to dispel the misconception that women should feel inferior to their male counterparts working in the landscape construction industry.
“Whether on the tools, in the office, or a marketing role, there’s a misconception or a divide in that we are less knowledgeable or lack experience. That’s absolutely not always the case. I don’t pretend to have all of the knowledge when it comes to landscaping and marketing, but I work to my strengths and that shouldn’t stop other women from exploring the opportunity of working in male-dominated industries,” she said.
Even though it has been challenging striving for equality in an industry that is so male-dominant, Judd has no regrets choosing this career path as the “rewards outweigh the challenges”.
Written by Sharon Green, Editor of SHE DEFINED. To read the story in full click here.