Construction Managment?

Kev-Kev.

Kev-Kev.

Member
I am a senior in highschool and I am trying to have an idea of what I want to go to college for. I am more than aware that my mind will probably change a dozen times over the next few years but for my own sake I just want to have a rough idea of a career field that fits my interests. I don't want a desk job and I want to make good money. I really don't know much about the field so If my fellow newschoolers would give their input it would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to suggest other careers/paths. Thanks.
 
don't do construction dude. Trust me. I worked for my dad for about 6 years. all summer to pay for skiing.

It's not fun.If it's not perfect customers bitch.

THe amount of tools, work, money that goes into a pour is insane.

Plus you have to know EVERYTHING about it. if something happends you have to know how to fix it, how to solve it.

Don't do it.
 
construction management is like really dumb downed civil engineering with some business. It seems like if you want to aim for a career in construction type things and want to work outside its pretty good, although your going to limit yourself and you can do everything a CM can do with a civil degree and more. I suggest taking some time to look around the internet about the kind of jobs that your degree will lead to, look for job openings that require the degree your looking for see what there about. Also remember that an engineering degree will most likely lead you to a more management position.
 
The worst part about that field is that the market can vary so greatly. For example, right now would be a touch time to be a construction manager but five years ago would have been awesome.
 
It seems like most universities that offer construction related degrees offer both a bs and ms in construction engineering and managment. I would probably go the extra few yards and get the ms.
 
don't listen to this.

If you like construction and are passionate about being that line of work then absolutely do it. There are a ton of people who are extremely happy doing it and love what they're doing.

I've done a couple years of general labour construction and didn't really like it, since then have done more specialty work and absolutely love most of it. It's such a satisfying feeling to have worked on a museum exhibit or some custom railings or whatever it is and to have other people enjoy the work you put in.

For instance an exhibit at the aviation museum. months after finishing it and being in the museum and hearing someone say something nice about what I worked on without knowing I did it is just the best.
 
That is awesome that you enjoy your job. I have always been a craftsman and an entrepreneur since I was really young so it seemed like construction was a good possibility.
 
if you're skilled with your hands and a good entrepreneur one can be quite successful. no doubt you'd have to start out doing something rather shitty to get a bit of experience, but I'd highly suggest to not get stuck in the house building, road work, cookie cutter whatever side of things. Apprenticing in a specific skill that you enjoy a lot and being more of a specialist is definitely the way to go.

and if you can, I suggest a university degree first. even if you never end up directly using it, it teaches you great work habits and can give you totally different ways to approaching problems. and especially if it involves engineering or anything of the like then it is pertinent to what you're doing. It also gives you something to fall back on

my thoughts
 
Yah that was my plan. I'm interested in going minoring in a degree that would give me experience with alternative energy and such seeing as that is where our technology is headed. Or fabrication of some sort. I'm 17 and I can weld better than most of the staff in my schools tech lab.
 
that's a great plan. imagine getting involved early in the start of an alternative energy that turns into the oil of the future. your great grandchildren would be set for life. and skilled metalworkers can make mint and have some very agreeable jobs.
 
to the asshole that said about construction he doesnt know to much about construction managment, you would be probably running your own business if not at least a manager of a company, where it would be a part desk job.

he is right in the since that it cost a shit ton of money, my dad works construction and lets put it this way an excavator cost around 100,000, this is a cat of course always buy the "catalac".

anywho if this is something you like and you can follow it up with an enginering degree you could have yourself a nice career.
 
look at landscape architecture. you still might be at a desk but you will get to go outside and survey the piece of land. you might even be able to design ski mountains???
 
CM is pretty awesome. To be succesful you are going to want to have a REAL construction background, and be a real people person...like love to be around and talk to people.

The hours are god awful! seriously most days will start at or before 5am, and end whenever the construction ends. You will also have to work on weekends a fair amount. You are constantly told what to do, and why you are wrong or screwed up by a civil engineer as well.

BUT you wont constantly be in the office, and you will actually get your hands dirty which is pretty fun. THe succesfull CM's that i have worked with are all workaholics though...but they all have suuuuuuper nice company provided personal trucks.

Its very easy academically, though it can be a good amount of work at times...but its brain dead work that a monkey could do. So if you dont really like math, but like the idea helping build stuff CM is pretty good.

I would say to just do Civil Engineering like me, because it gives you way more options, but it is really, really hard for most kids. You could always just try CE first, and then if you dont like it, just switch to buisness or CM like 60% of the kids do.

Here a little nerd humor:

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dont bother with the minor. no one repects a minor. hell, if you are trying to get into alternative energies...you had better have done grad research on it.

the best way to get into that kind of thing is to 1) have a background in that particular science, or better 2) get involved in the industry from the ground level, and go to all the conferences and professional meetings you can...and go to night school to get a REAL grad degree( none of this Uof Pheonix bullshit).

It takes a long ass time, and a lot of hard ass work to be successful in your carreer. Like 15+ years to start making decent money, and making a decent impact...unless youre lucky.
 
dont they have guidance counsellers at your school for these types of questions?

seeking career advice from the adolescent newschooler would be my last choice
 
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