- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: Construction Management: Industrial and Commercial
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:14 am to GeauxLSU25
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:14 am to GeauxLSU25
quote:
Construction Management: Industrial
Go to work for a pipeline company and make a ton of money if you are willing to work hard.
0
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:17 am to GeauxLSU25
Did you fail out of civil engineering yet ?
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:17 am to GeauxLSU25
quote:
Construction Management: Industrial and Commercial
Mom and dad are about to spend 100k for you to become a safety guy so a company can teach you about the job you want.
Just go to work for a GC and save the 100k.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:23 am to MrLarson
best advice so far
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:25 am to GeauxLSU25
Better take some Spanish courses bawito
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:29 am to GeauxLSU25
As a CM grad, I have commercial, industrial, and heavy civil experience. I found that starting out in any construction field is not the end all be all of your career, so don't think you're pigeon holed. If you know how to read plans, schedule, and write RFQ's or contracts, you can actually switch fields down the road if you want. Field experience is a must before you graduate. You will learn more on the job than in school, however it helps to have that piece of paper when looking for jobs. If you're looking to work in the field, you better have people skills. After years as a field manager, I actually find that I prefer estimating more. Less bull and babysitting to deal with, and you don't have to kiss arse or babysit the same a-hole plant managers or client managers on a day to day basis. It'll take a few years to find out what suits you best before you'll know if field superintendent/manager or office PM/estimator is for you, or what field for that matter. You definitely want the field experience though before getting into an office position. Field managers make more, but you'll be earning it working way more hours and in the weather or some stinking hellhole. Since you're a freshmen, try industrial one summer and commercial another. Try them all out and see what you like. You might be on the end of a shovel, firewatch, or sweeping up the office, but don't turn your nose up at any of it. What you'll learn doing the bitch work is definitely applicable to what you'll do after graduation. I went the same route, worked summers cleaning bricks, tying rebar, packing sheetrock, surveying, or putting in post-tension cables. It might have sucked for a few months at a time, but worth the payoff in the end. And don't be afraid to ask questions.
This post was edited on 1/24/18 at 8:34 am
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:35 am to RodFarva
quote:
The first 3 companies I listed are the bigger companies in town.
Uh...wrong
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:37 am to baseballmind1212
quote:
Any of the big BR companies are great places to intern. MAPP, Cajun, Stuart, Arkel, Lemoine's BR Office, ISC, Group. All those are great.
You forgot the actual big companies
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:43 am to MrLarson
Most of yall are fricking idiots.
OP if you go commercial alot of the shite people are saying is kind of true. You will more than likely bounce around to different companies and work project to project unless you show you have the ability to sell, estimate and perform other duties.
IF you go industrial world they are full of shite. I have a civil degree and work as a pm for a very large specialty civil company that does 95% industrial work. I went this route because it pays much more than engineering. I graduated in may 2014 and was older(31) and had tons of experience. I do not work much overtime(only 2-3 turnarounds a year) and I make more than any one I graduated with no matter which engineering degree they got. I get offered about every 3 months to go to one of the engineering firms and I laugh at the salaries they are offering. The other 3 civils in my office and the one chem E are all the same way. Same with the 2 CM grads we have. What I do would be considered extremely high level project management, but still involved in day to day activities. Our company has a program that all the new guys go through for the first 2 or 3 years that allows them to be exposed to all areas of the company and teaches them to sell, estimate, manage, perform the field work etc and this helps a ton. Those that make it through and can complete the final presentation are going to be damn good, others get weeded out quickly. Most of our new people work the turnarounds to get experience, some travel which is a great way to learn.
If you go industrial you will start around 60k and how fast you move up from there is dependent on you. But it is not uncommon at all to have a salary of over 100k plus allowances within 4 years of graduating without having to live in the field to make it happen. Unless you are wanting to work nothing, but turnarounds or volunteer, what I have scene is most new people work 40-50 hours plus 4-5 turnarounds a year. This shouldn't be a problem if you are young, single and hungry.
If you will spend the time in the field learning how they actually do things, sky is the limit. Other thing that will hold you back is communication. If you can't get in front of a client and give a presentation on why something is a change of scope, then forget about it, you will struggle in the field no matter which direction you go.
Rambled long enough, but some last minute advice I would give you is take as many accounting and financial classes that you can. The CM grads that work for us tend to struggle with this the most even though they usually have a MBA. Take speech classes that make you get up and give presentations, especially ones that give you a topic and only give you 5 minutes to prepare. The people I see struggling are the ones that can't understand the financials and can't talk to the client to save their life. Also if you can take a couple classes on scheduling and actually learn primavera, do so. Also get internships the whole time in college.
if you wanna talk more you can email me tdlsu777 gmail
OP if you go commercial alot of the shite people are saying is kind of true. You will more than likely bounce around to different companies and work project to project unless you show you have the ability to sell, estimate and perform other duties.
IF you go industrial world they are full of shite. I have a civil degree and work as a pm for a very large specialty civil company that does 95% industrial work. I went this route because it pays much more than engineering. I graduated in may 2014 and was older(31) and had tons of experience. I do not work much overtime(only 2-3 turnarounds a year) and I make more than any one I graduated with no matter which engineering degree they got. I get offered about every 3 months to go to one of the engineering firms and I laugh at the salaries they are offering. The other 3 civils in my office and the one chem E are all the same way. Same with the 2 CM grads we have. What I do would be considered extremely high level project management, but still involved in day to day activities. Our company has a program that all the new guys go through for the first 2 or 3 years that allows them to be exposed to all areas of the company and teaches them to sell, estimate, manage, perform the field work etc and this helps a ton. Those that make it through and can complete the final presentation are going to be damn good, others get weeded out quickly. Most of our new people work the turnarounds to get experience, some travel which is a great way to learn.
If you go industrial you will start around 60k and how fast you move up from there is dependent on you. But it is not uncommon at all to have a salary of over 100k plus allowances within 4 years of graduating without having to live in the field to make it happen. Unless you are wanting to work nothing, but turnarounds or volunteer, what I have scene is most new people work 40-50 hours plus 4-5 turnarounds a year. This shouldn't be a problem if you are young, single and hungry.
If you will spend the time in the field learning how they actually do things, sky is the limit. Other thing that will hold you back is communication. If you can't get in front of a client and give a presentation on why something is a change of scope, then forget about it, you will struggle in the field no matter which direction you go.
Rambled long enough, but some last minute advice I would give you is take as many accounting and financial classes that you can. The CM grads that work for us tend to struggle with this the most even though they usually have a MBA. Take speech classes that make you get up and give presentations, especially ones that give you a topic and only give you 5 minutes to prepare. The people I see struggling are the ones that can't understand the financials and can't talk to the client to save their life. Also if you can take a couple classes on scheduling and actually learn primavera, do so. Also get internships the whole time in college.
if you wanna talk more you can email me tdlsu777 gmail
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:44 am to TSS_Tiger
quote:
u may not think that you will gain a lot of practical career experience sweeping a shop floor or putting washers on bolts but you would be surprised. Being around the people doing the type of work that you hope to, one day, direct will help you more than you know. After 4 years you will have a much better view of what type of work you gravitate to and by then you may even be designated as a journeyman of a specific trade (depending on how much effort you put into it).
this. just stepping foot in a plant puts you ahead of a lot of the other graduates.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:46 am to lowhound
quote:
As a CM grad, I have commercial, industrial, and heavy civil experience. I found that starting out in any construction field is not the end all be all of your career, so don't think you're pigeon holed. If you know how to read plans, schedule, and write RFQ's or contracts, you can actually switch fields down the road if you want. Field experience is a must before you graduate. You will learn more on the job than in school, however it helps to have that piece of paper when looking for jobs. If you're looking to work in the field, you better have people skills. After years as a field manager, I actually find that I prefer estimating more. Less bull and babysitting to deal with, and you don't have to kiss arse or babysit the same a-hole plant managers or client managers on a day to day basis. It'll take a few years to find out what suits you best before you'll know if field superintendent/manager or office PM/estimator is for you, or what field for that matter. You definitely want the field experience though before getting into an office position. Field managers make more, but you'll be earning it working way more hours and in the weather or some stinking hellhole. Since you're a freshmen, try industrial one summer and commercial another. Try them all out and see what you like. You might be on the end of a shovel, firewatch, or sweeping up the office, but don't turn your nose up at any of it. What you'll learn doing the bitch work is definitely applicable to what you'll do after graduation. I went the same route, worked summers cleaning bricks, tying rebar, packing sheetrock, surveying, or putting in post-tension cables. It might have sucked for a few months at a time, but worth the payoff in the end. And don't be afraid to ask questions.
very good advice. AS far as the field guys making more, I tend to see the guys that can switch seamlessly between project management, estimating and sales make the most. and they always have a home with those skills.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:55 am to lsu777
quote:
Most of yall are fricking idiots.
True
quote:
The people I see struggling are the ones that can't understand the financials and can't talk to the client to save their life
Because they don't have any fricking experience and no one wants to give a 25 year old the time of day much less 100 million dollar contract. Hence my point. Some company is going to have to train him how to do the job he wants. B&M is only going to give him a certification paper that says he doesn't know shite about what he is doing.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 8:57 am to lsu777
quote:
I would give you is take as many accounting and financial classes that you can. The CM grads that work for us tend to struggle with this the most even though they usually have a MBA. Take speech classes that make you get up and give presentations, especially ones that give you a topic and only give you 5 minutes to prepare. The people I see struggling are the ones that can't understand the financials and can't talk to the client to save their life. Also if you can take a couple classes on scheduling and actually learn primavera, do so.
Spot on right there. I actually use what I learned from the non-CM courses the most. Math, Law, Accounting, Finance, Speech, Business Writing, and Management courses
This post was edited on 1/24/18 at 9:02 am
Posted on 1/24/18 at 9:00 am to lowhound
Oh, and make sure you take some Excel and Primavera classes
Posted on 1/24/18 at 9:03 am to lowhound
Posted on 1/24/18 at 9:21 am to GeauxLSU25
Learn the work whichever field you choose. What I mean by that is spend your summers/winter working in the field. That means being a laborer/ helper. That experience will help you land an internship and the knowledge of the field. I can't tell you how many guys I've graduated/worked with lack the simple knowledge of the work they are trying to manage.
If you are after making money, go industrial. You will make double what residential /commercial guys make.
If you are after making money, go industrial. You will make double what residential /commercial guys make.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 9:35 am to GeauxLSU25
You made a good choice with CM. I graduated in December and am moving to SC to take over all the estimating up there. Go work in the field over the summer and get into the office during the semesters. You'll make great money and advance way faster than *most* engineers.
This post was edited on 1/24/18 at 3:57 pm
Posted on 1/24/18 at 9:35 am to lowhound
quote:
Excel
quote:
Excel
quote:Also can't emphasize that enough.
Excel
Posted on 1/24/18 at 9:49 am to JGood
yep I use excel more than anything else. Learn to write code including macros and you will be a rockstar.
Also I forgot to emphasize law in my earlier post. To be an effective high level PM you better be able to do the following:
Understand production rates and how to track them
Understand all levels of financials
understand contracts especially indemnification clauses
understand how to communicate effectively.
Also I forgot to emphasize law in my earlier post. To be an effective high level PM you better be able to do the following:
Understand production rates and how to track them
Understand all levels of financials
understand contracts especially indemnification clauses
understand how to communicate effectively.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 9:55 am to lsu777
All this is true, but don't get stuck on the mindset that you have to be a PM either. There's a lot more jobs in companies that are very lucrative and offer quick advancement.
Page 2 of 5
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News