She Waited 6 Months To Work For BuzzFeed And Its The Best Job Shes Had In 11 Years

She Waited 6 Months To Work For BuzzFeed And Its The Best Job Shes Had In 11 Years Liz Grillo, a Mobile Quality Assurance Engineer, just celebrated her first year at BuzzFeed. She may have waited 6 months for the position to open to apply, but says its the best job that shes had in 11 years. The PowerToFly talent spoke with us about her experience working remotely from her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina.How would you describe a typical work day?I do my job at home, where I feel comfortable and calm. Some people prefer to go to bars with Wi-Fi or co-working places, but I prefer to be in a quiet place. I wake up and jump on Slack, the chat service that we use. At the same time, I check Jira, our issue tracking tool, to see if theres something to start working on. Our sprints last two weeks. We have a week to check cards and fix bugs and a week to do the regression. I generally know what to expect throughout the day.What advice would you give other women interested in working remotely? If you really want the job, be patient. I had to wait 6 months until a QA position was available to apply, but this is the best job Ive had in 11 years. It was worth the wait When you have the job, the company needs to feel like youre there, even though youre leid physically in the same place. Good communication matters. Be clear and also report what youre doing, even when your manager doesnt ask. Sometimes leaders are so busy that they dont have the time to check in, but they will eventually find a moment to read your message and know what youve been working on.Do you have any strategies for staying efficient outside of an office? What tools do you use?Communication is really important to me. I try to be as proactive as I can. I communicate all the time with my manager. I try to keep him posted on everything. If I have a herausforderung, I say it. I have no shame. If everything is OK, I say that too. Having communication with the rest of the team really helps to keep the concept of team work alive.What are the biggest challenges about working remotely? How have you overcome them?Sometimes (but not often) I miss having people around. But honestly, when I do the math, I realize that I love working quietly at home. When I feel that way, I try to go out and hang out with friends after my workday is complete.Even though I know how to speak English, when I initially had to communicate with people in a language that is not my native one, I had to improve my writing skills. I had to become clearer and mora concise. This was a positive thing for me. I like English, so it wasnt a problem for me try to get better at it.Courtesy of LizGrilloHow do you spend your time outside of work?Im passionate about traveling, writing and drawing. I also enjoy being outside with nature and playing sports??especially swimming, running, walking and trekking. I love meeting new people and talking with everyoneWhats one detail that most people dont know about you?Even though I work in tec h, I studied anthropology and almost have a degree in the field. I have two final tests and Im done Anthropology actually helped me in tech, especially when it comes to relationships, communications skills and working in quality assurance (QA). It helps me walk in the users shoes. Ive been studying tech on my own for 11 years. As the industry evolves, I continue to learn.What do you like best about working with PowerToFly?Many things Working remotely allows me to avoid public transportation. This was big plus for me Public transportation usually stresses me out, especially at rush hour. Im able to sleep better and for longer, so during the day Im less tired and more productive. In other jobs that I had before, I could work from home one day per week, but working remotely every day is another thing. This is fun Its really improved my people skills, and Ive acquired more knowledge in the mobile field, which I can add to my resume.My job also requires me to speak and write in English. You really learn a language when you use it, so this is an excellent opportunity to do that. Im able to speak with talented people (who are mostly women) from many other countries, which is a dream for an almost anthropologist We all share what we know to help each other. My team is amazingI also have more time for me. Because Im not traveling to an office every day and am sleeping well, I have more time to study and to do other things that I couldnt do when working in an office. One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.