Continuing Sundt’s celebration of Women in Construction (WIC) Week, we spoke with Field Engineer Jennifer Peralta Carbajal who is working on Sundt’s Blue Flame Building project, an innovative public-private partnership in Downtown El Paso. Jennifer brings a high level of attention to detail to her role, in which she is responsible for documentation, quality assurance and change management, while also working with surrounding businesses to ensure that Sundt is a good neighbor.
Jennifer has been with Sundt for two and a half years, prior to which she earned her bachelor’s in civil engineering and master’s in construction management from the University of Texas at El Paso. While originally from Chihuahua, Chihuahua, she made it clear that she is not a small-dog kind of person; she’s actually a proud “dog mom” of not one but two Great Danes, which keep her busy outside of work. Luckily, Jennifer was able to step away from her engineering and dog parenting duties for a moment to tell us some of her story. 
How did you get into construction? And what led you to Sundt?
I’ve always wanted to be an engineer, and in school I was interested in math, physics, and design. During college, I joined several student organizations including the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) which introduced me to more of the industry. I was a senior when one of my professors from the construction management department sent an email that Sundt was holding interviews the following month. So, I sent my resume and went to the interview, and three weeks later I was stepping onto one of Sundt’s projects here in El Paso as an intern.
What is your favorite thing about working in this industry?
In construction, you work in two different environments: the field and the office. In the field, I like how skilled people make use of equipment and different materials to form structures from scratch. On the other hand, I think of the office as the space behind the stage curtain that manages the whole show. And that part is interesting—most people would never imagine the amount of behind-the-scenes work it takes to manage a project.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned thus far in your career?
I’ve learned what it means to work as a team, how to communicate better with others, and to give extra dedication to my work.
What does construction need more of? Less of?
Construction needs more female role models, and less close-minded people. Diversity provides richer perspectives to help us generate better ideas for our clients, our community, and ourselves.
What does success look like for you?
Working in a healthy environment where I can apply my skills and get the most out of the experience.
What challenges have you faced as woman working in construction?
As a young professional, I was initially a little intimidated at the prospect of talking to certain men in the industry. Sometimes it feels like they doubt your knowledge of construction or that they just don’t want to talk to you. But the reality is different. It’s okay to not know everything and to ask questions; the more important thing is to know how to communicate with people and work with them to get things done.
When this job gets difficult or things don’t go as planned, how do you pick yourself back up?
I always remind myself how much I enjoy my work even in difficult or stressful situations, and it also helps me to talk to my team. Sharing things with them helps relieve the stress and find solutions.
What is something you’re looking forward to this year?
I really want to continue learning more aspects of construction and growing as a professional. I’d like to pursue my EIT (Engineer in Training) and PE license, as well as LEED AP certification. The future is going to bring more sustainable building projects, so developing those skills will give me and the company a definite advantage. Also, I’m looking forward to wrapping up the Blue Flame project, and then to start on the next project and meet new team members. I try to learn a lot from each person I work with, so I’m excited to see what I’ll learn next.