The mission of the Chicago Chapter of Professional Women in Construction is to support, advance, and connect women in the AEC industry. One of the ways the chapter works towards that mission is through its Mentorship Program. The program, which provides ways for experienced and emerging professionals to engage in meaningful relationships that foster growth and confidence, is available to all PWC Chicago members. 

To gain a better understanding of the Mentorship Program and its benefits, we sat down with two PWC Chicago members who are currently part of the program.  

One of our PWC Chicago mentors is Caryn Maxfield, she is a Senior Vice President at American Global where she is a key member of the firm’s Infrastructure Solutions team. As an experienced attorney and former construction company executive with 18 years in the construction and surety industries, she is a valued mentor for Kathryn Feddor, another PWC Chicago member and project manager at CBRE. 

Roxy Kermani is a PWC Chicago mentee, a Project Architect at JGMA and Phius, and a LEED accredited architect. She works on a variety of projects across Chicagoland and leads several sustainability initiatives at the firm.  She is currently mentored by Mihaela Ianev-Cajigas, Interiors Studio Director at bKL Architecture, where she is an expert in project planning, design, and implementation.

What made you want to be part of the PWC Chicago mentorship program? 

Caryn Maxfield: I have been a mentor in similar capacities throughout my career and have found mentorship to be very rewarding in terms of passing along knowledge and advice based on my experiences and potentially avoiding the mentee having to learn “the hard way”.  I also benefit by gaining a new and fresh perspective on how women newer to the construction industry view their roles, contributions, roadblocks and strategies for success which enhances my perspective.

Roxy Kermani: As much as I love learning from folks within my organization, I think it’s important to also connect and learn from people with different day-to-day environments than our own. Connecting with Mihaela was a great way to gain new perspectives from someone who is not only at a different firm, but also with a different specialty. I have loved hearing about her current experience leading the interiors team at bKL as well as the insight she has gained over the years from the various organizations she has worked with. 

What are some of the topics you focus on in your mentorship relationship? 

Caryn Maxfield: My mentee experienced a job transition shortly after we were connected.  Many of our discussions focused on what to look for in a new company and position, taking on the challenge of a new company and position which is out of one’s comfort zone but also a great learning and development opportunity. Once my mentee began working for her new company, we focused on the challenges of working remotely – especially when starting a new job, learning new “lingo” and processes and getting to know new people and the dynamics of her project team.  My mentee is eager to add value while simultaneously learning a great deal. 

Roxy Kermani: We typically talk about our day-to-day moments and challenges in the workplace - Realizing we may have some experiences in common and some that are new. It’s especially useful for me to connect and learn from someone who is in the next phase of their career. That way we are still able to relate to each other’s worlds, but I can also look ahead and foresee challenges or opportunities that I could be planning for in the future.  

How do you work to support each other’s professional and/or personal growth? 

Caryn Maxfield: Finding and starting a new job is difficult and stressful so hopefully I have been supportive in terms of providing helpful advice when searching for a new job, stretching into new companies/roles that my mentee was not particularly familiar with, and keeping in mind that the new job should not be viewed as her job for the “rest of her life”, but as a learning opportunity which will be a stepping stone along her career path -- possibly with the same company or possibly with respect to future endeavors. 

Roxy Kermani: By simply showing up and making time for me, Mihaela is already supporting me. Often in our profession, we are sprinting at full speed, brushing off the need to come up for a breath of air. When we get together, she helps create that space to stop, take a look around, and gain some perspective. This reflection is key to ensuring my daily routine is contributing to my overall goals or what adjustments could be made.  

In what ways have you been surprised by your experience with the PWC mentorship program?

Caryn Maxfield: Neither of us expected my mentee’s job search and move so early in our mentor/mentee relationship but I hope she benefited from my positive experience and optimistic perspective on contemplating new career paths and new learning opportunities, having done that myself several times in my career. 

Roxy Kermani:  Through the PWC Mentorship Program, I was expecting to find a professional mentor that felt similar to the relationship between a manager and an employee; however, immediately upon meeting Mihaela I could tell our relationship would be different. She is so warm and outgoing that I was able to quickly move past the stiff professional protocol and move into a relationship that was more open, fluid, and friendly. 

How does PWC Chicago support your mentor/mentee relationship? 

Caryn Maxfield: PWC Chicago provides many opportunities for us to get together in person and network with other women in the organization.  Connecting with people in our industry, hearing their stories and learning strategies for success from others are some of the best ways to advance personally and professionally.  We don’t all need to learn lessons first-hand.