re: How can I get into commercial/civil/industrial construction estimating?

I'm going to piggy back on Dick Leverage's post.

I took a job at a top 200 GC straight out of civil engineering at Auburn in estimating. I had no clue what I was doing. I grew up around highway and residential construction but commercial and industrial are a whole nother game. GCs are practically begging people to come work for them.

I am now an assistant project manager and will either be getting promoted next year to PM or will be jumping to another company for more money and to be a PM. I spent less than a year in estimating before jumping out into the field as an on-site PM. Was there for less than a year before another promotion to APM.

I say all of that to say if you want to work in commercial construction start applying everywhere for every entry level spot and you will get hired on and taught everything you need to know.