During the second week of the holidays, I flew up to Auckland for a Girlboss Advantage Programme powered by Fletcher Construction and Living.

I felt very grateful to have been accepted as I was aware it was a highly selective programme for girls across Aotearoa interested in the building and construction industry. I was already interested in architecture, so I saw this as a way to gain further knowledge into that field!

Throughout the five days we had some amazing workshops such as learning and developing our Public Speaking skills with Diana Thomson. She taught us to “memorise your message not your words”. We also learnt how to network, establish our own personal brand, how to nail those tough interview questions and create a Linkedin account to connect with top professionals. From Construction Supervisors to Health and Safety Officers to CEO’s we truly met the best of the best and I loved the way they welcomed us and openly shared their own experiences and backgrounds.

The two highlights for me were definitely the onsite visits, which led to the “Dragon's Den Challenge” we had at the end of the programme. On Wednesday all the girls were taken to a new subdivision, “Waiata Shores” that Fletcher has been developing in South Auckland. We got to see the Hipster Project where they are currently planning 16 tiny home units to go in, for which we were given the task in groups to design shared communal outdoor spaces for a specific market. I was ecstatic when the results came out after we pitched our concepts to the Dragons (judges) to learn my team had come first! We couldn’t have done it without our teamwork as a group and our mentor, Barry who guided us along the way!

The skills that I learnt, I know I will be able to utilise throughout my life wherever my career path leads me. I could feel the boost in my confidence from the girl who walked in on Monday to the girl I walked out as after graduating on Friday!

Through the incredible work of Alexia - CEO of GirlBoss, I truly felt empowered and part of this tribe of strong women. Therefore, I feel every girl should jump at the chance to engage with this wonderful opportunity!

By Jaiyushka Pratap