Construction management

[CApighunter]

I’m sure I’m not the only one on here, but I’m ready to get off the shop floor and into a position with more responsibilities and a bigger picture.
A little about me, I’ve been welding since the Monday after highschool graduation and have worked for various companies for almost 10 years. I’ve done everything from sanitary stainless to heavy pipe and commercial construction. The last 3 I’ve been doing heavy structural steel. I work for a great company, with pay and bennies well above average, but I’m burnt out. I know my body can’t do this forever and not do I want to. I’ve been looking to make the move into an estimator/project manager type position but I’ve come to realize that isn’t going to happen where I’m at now.
Any advice from the guys who are in the management side of the trades on how to get in the door?

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

We work on the technology side of the construction process. Automating the heavy equipment and providing software to digitize the process.

If you’re at all interested in that side of the construction workflow send me a PM.

 

[Wvroach]

Mining although a bit different I had to leave my mine to get promoted.
Same scenario no way to move up past the highest hourly position within that company.

Made contacts while I was there busted my back everyday left on a good note moved to the other company for shift supervisor role. It's hard to get promoted within past hourly foreman at any company in our industry at least if your going to be over the same guys you worked with for the last 10 years. My opinion is to look external if your wanting to go salary.

 

[roadrunner]

Ever think of getting a P.M.P. certification?

 

[wind gypsy]

I’m sure I’m not the only one on here, but I’m ready to get off the shop floor and into a position with more responsibilities and a bigger picture.
A little about me, I’ve been welding since the Monday after highschool graduation and have worked for various companies for almost 10 years. I’ve done everything from sanitary stainless to heavy pipe and commercial construction. The last 3 I’ve been doing heavy structural steel. I work for a great company, with pay and bennies well above average, but I’m burnt out. I know my body can’t do this forever and not do I want to. I’ve been looking to make the move into an estimator/project manager type position but I’ve come to realize that isn’t going to happen where I’m at now.
Any advice from the guys who are in the management side of the trades on how to get in the door?

I'm a PM for a large contractor. My path was via a BS in Construction Management. Started as a field engineer out of college, then project engineer, construction manager, and got promoted to PM 8 or so years after I started. We have some PMs who came up through the trades via foreman, superintendent, Construction manager, etc but they aren't the majority.

Every type of construction is different and i'm sure the path is easier/shorter for some than others. You basically would need to figure out which type of construction you're interested in and if you want to go the school route or start by being a good hand then foreman then superintendent, etc.

For what it's worth, i'm burnt out too.. Rokslide is my refresher when I need a mental break and my post count tells the story that I need too many mental breaks

 

[cnelk]

At the minimum, do some schooling at a local Community College for Project Management - Get a certificate and that will definitely help in getting interviews.

 

[Drenalin]

I started off when I was still in college working as an unskilled laborer. Worked my tail off and moved up to carpenter and then assistant superintendent. After graduation, I was assistant super on a big school, then the company gave me the option to move up to superintendent or come into the office as an assistant PM. I knew I didn’t want to be in the field at 60, so I took the opportunity to get out of the field. Was an assistant PM for about a year and have been a PM for seven years now. All this has been with the same company.

Even in our market, which is small, I don’t think I would have gotten nearly the same opportunities without the degree. So as much as I hate the “go to college” mantra, that piece of paper is pretty helpful if you’re wanting to move into management.

 

[elkguide]

Don't burn any bridges until you know where you're going. (and don't burn them then either!) Nothing wrong with looking elsewhere for work but do it with your eyes wide open and with a plan. For me, having worked in construction, for many years, I realized that the only way that I was going to get where I wanted to be was to go out on my own. Before I did, I made all of the connections that I could with different contractors and suppliers. Did pretty well but the first year things were a little bit tight as I learned a little bit more about planning and scheduling but looking back, it was the best decision I have made even if I'm now stuck working for the most miserable boss in the world!

 

[Customweld]

There is lots of good advice above. It takes a pile of guts and faith to start over at a new company or profession. Where I live, the trades are screaming for help.
I started out in the ditch. Then I moved into a loader, then running a crew and being a superintendent . Before the crash in 07-08 I switched companies and moved up to estimating/ project management.I don’t have any formal school after HS.

 

[cnelk]

I should add that I retired last May from being a Construction PM for a large school district. Remodeling public schools.

I hired architects, scheduled bids, wrote POs, submitted Fire department permitting, submitted State building permitting, scheduled contractors, scheduled inspections, final closeout....

I started out in framing construction, worked in a machine shop, worked in school maintenance and then moved up to PM.

No schooling, but I had to work extra hard to make up for it.

Man, it was a fun wave to ride, until it wasnt.

 

[Azone]

If you went and got a degree and paired that with your experience, that would be something companies would be after. It’s amazing what idiots can get into a management position just because they have a degree but don’t know jack about what they actually need to do. Mean while, guys with all the actual hands on experience and skill never get the chance, or rarely do.

I went the exact same route as you, diploma on a Saturday and welding the Monday after it. Hindsight, yeah college would have definitely opened some doors but what I was able to learn from starting out at the very bottom and working up I wouldn’t trade for a degree any day, well most days anyways.

Have you thought of going out on your own?
You will make more money and be able to save more possibly leading to an earlier retirement and saving your body the beating.

 

[Werty]

First and foremost get some cash saved if don't already, having FU money will help all decisions.

 

[ODB]

We work on the technology side of the construction process. Automating the heavy equipment and providing software to digitize the process.

If you’re at all interested in that side of the construction workflow send me a PM.

I don't even know what that means, but it sounds interesting. Could you share (PM is fine) a link to an example of what you are talking about? Thx

 

[Michael54]

Move. In all honesty the local competition wont hire you at a promoted position and with no experience in management your best bet is to look in different areas and try to get in that way. Any management classes will help but realistically moving to a different area/state will be your best option.

 

[CApighunter]

Move. In all honesty the local competition wont hire you at a promoted position and with no experience in management your best bet is to look in different areas and try to get in that way. Any management classes will help but realistically moving to a different area/state will be your best option.

Southeast Idaho is in the plans, but it’ll be 3-4 years unfortunately before my girlfriend and I are ready to buy a house there and move.

 

[CApighunter]

At the minimum, do some schooling at a local Community College for Project Management - Get a certificate and that will definitely help in getting interviews.

The state university in town does offer a PM cert program and I’ve thought about it. I asked some of the PMs and the owner what they thought and they all said dont bother. Of the 7 or 8 PMs we have, only one has hands on ironwork experience and one has a degree in construction management. Aside from that, it’s a hodgepodge of unrelated work history.

 

[CApighunter]

Ever think of getting a P.M.P. certification?

Considered it, and it is an option. Currently studying for my CWI exam but it’s tough working 6 day/70 hour weeks. Planning on taking the test this summer. It would definitely be a step towards a foreman position at another company, though I have no interest in being an inspector.

 

[2ski]

I know nothing about this industry so my advice for you is assuming you have the knowhow to get further. Don't be afraid to take risk. Calculated. But risk. I know a guy that used some savings to play in a poker game with some head guys at a bank. It wasn't to win money, it was to make sure those guys knew him and more than just his name. He's a loan officer now. Don't suck up and kiss ass, but find a way so that you stand out to the guys that can promote you. You have to back it up with know how, knowledge and hard work. But make sure those guys know your name. And show how you can be a leader. Not a boss.

 

[CApighunter]

I know nothing about this industry so my advice for you is assuming you have the knowhow to get further. Don't be afraid to take risk. Calculated. But risk. I know a guy that used some savings to play in a poker game with some head guys at a bank. It wasn't to win money, it was to make sure those guys knew him and more than just his name. He's a loan officer now. Don't suck up and kiss ass, but find a way so that you stand out to the guys that can promote you. You have to back it up with know how, knowledge and hard work. But make sure those guys know your name. And show how you can be a leader. Not a boss.

This is basically my current strategy. I’m on a first name basis with the owner and all the PMs, I always stop and chat when I have time. I also sat with the owner and his family at his daughter’s college graduation. The issue seems to be that our operations manager can’t afford to lose me out of the shop so while he has no issue paying me more, he won’t promote me. I’ve been told by several people that the best way to get promoted here is to be bad at your job...

 

[cnelk]

I’ve been told by several people that the best way to get promoted here is to be bad at your job...

This is called the ‘Peter Principle’ - a well known business term.

Basically it means you are promoted to your level of incompetency.