Influential Woman · Pipe Fabrication

Amanda Hughes

Pipe Fabrication Estimator, --

Woodlands, TX

Her Story

About Amanda

My journey in pipe fabrication has been about trusting the universe and staying open to opportunities. I started 14 years ago as a material clerk at a pipe fab shop after my dad got sick and I had just had a baby. I needed a job, but I found the work really interesting and discovered I was really good at it. I moved up quickly in that company, running the receiving office and then learning how to draft. From there, I moved to another company doing piping design and drafting. When that company shut down, I found a data reliability company where I ran a team, mostly in India, via Teams. I taught them how to draft and learned how to do inspection ISOs and equipment ISOs. Recently, I took on a new role as a pipe fabrication estimator with some old coworkers. It's a logical next step given my experience, but it's also a new adventure. I keep my eyes, ears, and heart open to whatever the world presents because I never know what opportunity is going to come my way. I show up ready to learn something new, and that openness has been key to my career growth.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Amanda

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to being myself and not being afraid of my personality. Every promotion and every opportunity I've gotten has been a direct result of me being myself, being charming and friendly. Even though I work in a male-dominated, cut-and-dried industry, my bubbly and communicative personality has been key. At my last company, I got promoted over people who'd been there for years because I could run meetings, run a room, and I was good with eye contact and communication. Those soft skills that we're told as women we need to suppress have actually been my greatest asset. People would come to me to help run meetings because I could communicate so effectively. Building relationships and being myself has been the key to every promotion and every job referral I've gotten.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Don't be afraid of your personality. I think because it's such a male-dominated industry and it's so cut and dried, there's pressure to be more serious and reserved. But my personality tends to be very bubbly and communicative, and every promotion and opportunity I've gotten has been a direct result of me being myself, being charming and friendly. At my last company, I got promoted over people who'd been there for years because I could run meetings, run a room, and I was good with eye contact and communication. A lot of those soft skills that we're told as women we need to be more serious about are actually our strengths. Obviously, you have to do your job properly, but building those relationships and being yourself has been the key to every promotion and job referral I've gotten. People would come to me to help run meetings because I could communicate so effectively. You don't always have to be quiet and not laugh and smile. It makes people feel comfortable and approachable.

03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Professionally, I think it's most important to keep an open mind. You never know what opportunity is going to present itself, so be willing to change your mind because just because I think something doesn't mean I'm right. Openness is key. Integrity is also essential. And you've always got to be willing to work for what you want. I think you can probably guess from me being like, oh, I just made some cake balls to pay for baseball. You always have to hustle and be willing to put in the effort to achieve your goals. Personally, my children's mental health is more important than their grades. That's a core value for me as a parent.

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