I'm a female construction manager. I've had men comment on my looks and tell me I belong in the kitchen — but I still love my career.

• Lindsey Peruto is a construction project manager in Philadelphia. She's often the only woman there.
• She's had men comment on her looks and say she belongs in the kitchen, but that hasn't stopped her.
• "Microagressions aside, I love my career," she says. "I'd definitely recommend it to other women."

This as-told-to essay is based on a converastion with Lindsey Peruto, a construction project manager in Philadelphia. It has been edited for length and clarity. 

I was studying architecture in college and really liked it, but wasn't completely in love with the profession. Then, about three years into the program, a professor of mine mentioned construction management. I looked further into it and never looked back.