Glam building employee, 25, slams blokes who assume she used her appears to be like to get forward
Grace Graham, 25, a project manager, said men claim she bagged her job due to ‘pretty privilege’. She said you have to be ‘thick-skinned’ and know women can do the role ‘properly’
She has worked in the industry for years(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
A glam construction project manager claims bitter blokes assume she bagged her job thanks to ‘pretty privilege’ – but insists it’s all down to hard graft.
Grace Graham, 25, was promoted to project manager at a construction company in August 2025 after starting out in the industry eight years ago. Although she said she’s ‘grafted’ to get to this position, she claims people often assume she’s relied on pretty privilege to aid her progression.
In her career so far, the petite mum-of-one says fellas have been ‘surprised’ when she hosted important meetings and was once branded ‘emotional’ when simply being assertive.
She has spoken out about the industry(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
She admitted these comments only come from a minority of men in the industry as the majority have been ‘brilliant’ in helping her to build her career.
Grace, of Middlesbrough, North Yorks., said: “I would say you have to be thick-skinned. As much as you shouldn’t have to deal with it, we [women] know what we are and we know we can do this job properly. When you are a woman in construction, you need to have a bit more resilience and prove it to them by just getting on with your job. I love it [my career] but sometimes you’re just not taken very seriously as a woman.
“90% of my team and everyone else I’ve come across [in this industry] is brilliant and I get on very well with them and I know I’m just as good at my job as any guy is. But throughout my career, I’ve had people say I can’t be a woman and manage a team of men.
In her hi-vis on the job(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
“A few months ago, I was working with [someone] and I was called emotional. I get called bossy […] and often told I’m trying to prove a point. I knew if I was a man I would have been called assertive.”
She added: “As a woman, I feel you have to fight a lot more to be in those meeting rooms compared to men who can just walk in. Don’t get me wrong, many men have really helped me in my career, but it is sometimes a fight to get through and you’re not taken seriously.
“Sometimes I think how I look plays a part. People assume it’s ‘pretty privilege’ and this really annoys me as they don’t realise how hard I’ve grafted to get where I am.
On site(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
“People have also said to me I’ve only got my job due to the way I look. I think men do double take sometimes when I’m hosting a meeting or walk into a meeting room and question why I’m there.”
When glammed up at her local boozer or on a night out, she said people are often ‘gobsmacked’ that she works in construction. Grace said: “When I’m not at work and I tell people I work in construction I’ve had people not believe me. I’ve had to show pictures before. When they ask what I do, it’s a total gobsmack and they don’t believe me.”
She shared a TikTok clip about her career, which racked up more than 84,000 likes and 600 comments. Grace said: “On my TikTok the number of girls that messaged and commented with their own [construction] photos was amazing.
She’s proud about her career(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
“Yeah, you’ve got a few lads going ‘oh god, what are they doing? Idiots. They wouldn’t know the right side of a hammer’, but they’re just proving themselves as to what they are. Most of the comments section was so positive and it was all of these women coming together.”
She began her construction career aged 17 in admin at a housing company, then completed a degree apprenticeship and got her APM Project Manager Qualification and other credentials. In the next 18 months she hopes to be promoted to a senior project manager and one day wants to become an operational director.
Despite the comments, she is now encouraging other women to consider a job in the construction industry and would recommend completing a degree apprenticeship.
She said there’s no stopping her(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
She said: “I know that’ll happen [promotion], there’s no stopping me. I’d tell other girls to look into all of the different types of roles before jumping into something because construction is such a huge industry. For the girls leaving school I’d really advocate for an apprenticeship as there’s nothing better than learning on the job.”
One fan wrote on social media: “When you said you were the boss, I had a fat grin on my face.” Another said: “Kind of brilliant that we have women working in construction.”
