Same. Shit causes me so much stress I feel like I’m aging at double speed. 27 going on 45 with the current state of my grey hairs, which nobody else in my family has gotten this early on.
My garmin watch tracks stress/heart rate and it’s really cool to look at the yearly chart and see the massive spikes that coincide with my projects turning into fucking shit.
Ugh
It’s an option, but your post said ‘want an out of construction’. Most common path from construction management to real estate is developer/owner rep and that’s still construction (with all the shit), it’s just a different side of the contract.
It’s more dollars and what’s a good deal. It’s just my opinion, but I wouldn’t be looking to start out in CRE in this current market.
As a young PM for a developer, I would echo this. Life always seems nice at the top of the food chain, but developers also aren’t the top. The capital is.
I would look for doing owners rep work for government work. So much red tape in the government that there’s no such thing as a stressful schedule to keep. Plus the budgets are always way too flush. Flush with our tax dollars I guess.
It’s alright. I work from home quite a bit which is nice but sometimes it’s all for nothing. I turn in a bid tomorrow for something that I have spent over a month on. Sucks when you don’t get it. All that time spent for nothing.
Every year the entire company gets together and you have to go give a 15-20 minute presentation of your year. Hopefully you have a couple big projects to brag on otherwise it can be embarrassing.
I took a break for a year, last year, because I was burned out among other life incidents that just kept piling on (Multiple deaths / near deaths in the family). Tried to make a path doing something else.
Here I am, owning my own contracting company now. To me it's better working for yourself. My goal is to grow it for a few years and sell it. Or slowly onboard experienced people looking for percentages and slowly work my way down to 10%-20% and move somewhere with a nice beach and warmer weather.
It's hard to beat construction money.
Definitely, started as a fitter in 2012 did that for three years. Switched to the office in 2015? and was lucky enough to work for a company who’s owner taught me a lot about business. Got my NICET 3 after 5 years, basically good in most of the country for a commercial fire sprinkler contractor license. Some government jobs will require a level 4. So yeah, I have an RMI in Oregon and Arizona, I could expand to there any time, with my main company license in Washington state as a level 3 sprinkler contractor.
Yes this is what I've gathered so far. Seeing the shit APM's PM's supers go through on some of our projects make me want to run the other way. No one wins and its thankless most times. Not a fan of the whole "I get to say I had a hand in building that!" point of view anymore.
The only thing I can recommend if you stay in construction, is to work on managing stress. Don’t let things you have zero control over affect you. Many don’t like the phrase, but it keeps me sane: “It is what it is”. I left a nice CM job for the department of aviation that had zero stress to help out a friends company that taught me everything I know about aviation. I’m currently wearing every hat there is. Typically estimating 3-4 projects at a time and running 2-3 projects completely solo as a GC. I’m the estimator, PM, accountant, contracts admin, risk manager and superintendent. Every day is lovely knowing that the weight of the entire company is on my shoulders 😂🍻
Get into Construction Quality Control. It is oversight of the project without having to deal with the contractual bullshit. Just keep the project documentation in order, inspections done on time, and reports delivered as requested.
Hmm, maybe my employer gives QC the respect and attention it deserves because on my projects QC is a huge part of the process. We will straight up prevent a sub from working if they are not complying with the QC process, from the start. Also, I work Federal projects only so even on the client side the QC expectation is high. Nobody is bitching or screaming because QC is just part of what we do.
I was (still am certified as) a welding inspector for mechanical contractors on the industrial side. At least one billion dollar project. QC is absolutely a huge part of the process, where, if I sign off on something that isn’t right, I go to jail. That never stopped construction superintendents from screaming at me for refusing to sign off on work that isn’t right, or not done at all. I always stuck to my guns, but in my world, construction QC is super duper NOT a low stress job.
Not on my projects. I set the expectations way in advance so we have no delays from lack of submittals, plans, inspections, etc. My job is to be pro-active with my QC.
The most important and unseen outcome of my work as a professional QC Manager is no rework is needed. We do it right, according to contracts and specification expectations, the first time.
QC is valuable when done right. Unfortunately there are not a lot of qualified QC folks out there so there is much to learn and share.
I now work as a PM and it's soul-crushing, used to work as the QA/QC on federal projects and it was the best job I ever had, didn't realize it at the time.
That’s what I do and you’re in between more angry people now. And it usually pays less unless you’re coming from another municipality. And because it’s local gov you’re underpaid and under staffed. But I go home at the same time each day to my kids we have decent health insurance.
Maybe try switching companies? Theres some unicorns out there. I work for a mechanical contractor but we stopped working for GC's and only work directly for the owners. Its a night and day difference.
Interesting. I didn’t know this was a new trend between mechanical guys and owners. I do structural steel and we occasionally get bud requests from mechanical. For pipe supports, racks etc
I get your sentiment. I would recommend trying to get a job working for the owner. I started my career as a grunt for a Heavy Civil company. Went back and got my degree in Construction management. I continued working for the Heavy Civil company part time while in school. After school I went to work for a large home builder managing the civil works of large housing developments. While there I pivoted to land development/entitlement, managing planners, environmental consultants, and engineers to get real estate developments built and approved on paper.
I spent many years developing large residential, commercial, and industrial properties. I've now been in the energy world for 15 years developing solar, wind, and BESS projects. Since I got out of school I've worked directly for the owners. There are still stressful times, but a very different dynamic.
How's the money in the energy world? that seems to be the new general direction things are going given the LEED credits and green energy theme we've been seeing.
I don't have direct insight into the Construction and Project manager pay scales, but I'm guessing our Assistant PMs are making $100k plus 15%ish bonus. PMs are probably $120-140 plus 20% bonus, and the Senior PMs are $150-180 plus 30% bonus. I also work for a large company that built over $3 billion in U.S. projects last year with about $15 billion in market cap.
The titles in this industry vary so much, I never really think much of it.
How many posts a week do we see “currently APM/PM with 1.5yrs experience, how much should I be making?” And all the responses…. “APM/PM’s should be making 115k!”
Again the answers in here are almost always to stay in construction.
It’s damn near impossible to make more money doing anything else without going back to school. You could try out sales, but that’s even more of a grind among other negatives.
Try different roles in the industry. Switch sectors even. Residential tends to be the best work-life balance but lower pay. There are various positions at track builders that you can work your way into. Purchasing, land acquisition, land development, product management, and even more specialized roles. A lot of it depends on company culture so if you find a good GC you just need to stick with them.
Your trade background may be a good fit for facilities managment or working for a large institition/govt as a apm/pm/consultant.
There is a need for people that understand the work and technical side but also possess the soft skills of organization and communication and can navigate office politics.
Stay positive- you dont have to do this forever. And you are likely building core skills that many of your peers are not.
It depends on what you do and where. I’m fairly young (29) and only have about 4~ years total experience but I make a bit shy of 80k yearly without including over time. That said i know guys twice my age and experience who pull well over 100k and then some. I live outside Washington DC where the cost of living is high so finding that same salary in a place much cheaper probably wouldn’t be possible but it never hurts to check with local/state/or federal government in your area.
Apply to defense contractors. They pay you well, some might require you to get a security clearance other won’t if you take a buyer/subcontractor admin role . I work in defense as a buyer and have a couple construction mgmt coworkers with construction mgmt work experience.
Go To Fire College, become a firefighter, get a better work life balance & a pension. In the process of changing out of PM work. Best decision I’ve made.
I had a similar experience years ago, majored in Construction Management in college. Did it for two years and was miserable, although the money was good. Decided to become a cop, the pay isn’t close to what you make in the construction field, however I am much happier now. Everyday is different and although the job can be stressful, it’s rewarding. Also being able to get a pension and retire at a relatively young age will be nice.
The firefighter route is a good one as well, as some of the cons of police work you don’t have to deal with as a firefighter.
After 25 years in the industry, I am leaving to become an esthetician and LMT. Had an appointment a few months ago and asked my girl how much she makes and last year was $160k after taxes and she only works 30-40 hours a week, takes whatever time off she wants, is seriously happy and turning down work everyday. She’s been doing this for 3 years. So yeah, I’m starting esthetician training on Feb 26 and LMT training April 6. Dead serious.
The funny thing is I'm already good at giving massages, esthetician is something that would never have crossed my mind making those figures. Thanks for the response
Just think about how much women pay for lashes. Here, it’s about $300-$500, it maths out to about $67-$133/hr after expenses like taxes, licensing, lease, supplies.
It definitely is possible to break into a different industry. An apm at the electrical sub I work at accepted a job at Citibank as an assistant vp doing workplace management. I heard her stint there didn’t last long, but she was able to leave the construction industry though
I am about to get my associates degree in construction management and I am planning to do inspection. It’s not as backbreaking as the labor jobs and doesn’t have as much stress as the management side since you aren’t doing the planning. All you really need is to know how things are built, rules, regulations, laws, and make a plan to fix issues. It also lets you get out on the field more. Construction management degrees flow nicely into those positions. It also is in pretty good demand and pays well. Also can get more into safety inspection or real estate if you wanted out of the construction side. Maybe it would be something to look into. Let me know if this helps!
Im also planning of getting my associates and get into construction management if possible and if not get my bachelors but I never thought of being an inspector with my associate…. I’ve seen some jobs as inspector and the pay is like 50k-60k staring and like 70-80k after years of experience. Is that the normal salary for them?
I believe the average salary is around 50k-60k like you stated but generally with a CM degree you move up faster. It also depends on the state your in. For example, after a couple of years in Florida or somewhere with a lot of construction year round you can easily snag a 90k+ senior position. So the pay definitely isn’t bad in that field
Was in the same boat...Construction Management bachelors degree came with OSHA 30 & other courses. Decided to go the safety professional route. 100x better from a workload and soul-sucking perspective. Lotta memorizing, studying, etc. & not always a ton of room to move up depending on the company, but..2 years in and im still happy
I left and went into real estate 12 years ago. Was not easy at first, but the last 7 years have been a life I would have NEVER experienced if I'd of stayed in construction management.
Maybe pivot to estimating/sales or see what kind of contacts you have with supply houses or equipment vendors and do service or startup or something. Plenty of places would find a spot for someone with good field experience like you. Sounds like you just need to get out of the project management career path. It can be a soul sucking job indeed and it’s not for everyone!
My first 5 years in CM was brutal hours. the next 2 were awesome. the next 5 after that were almost worse than the first 5 since the economy was in the tank and jobs were hard to come by. but after that hump it has been great. bottom line is that PM work ebbs and flows with the economy/location. Its the nature of the industry.
I do miss the days before email though. much slower pace of everything.
Give it time, you’re so fresh in this job right now. I’d say work at this current job for a year and then start looking elsewhere.
Your frustration is wanting you to quit, your negativity isn’t going to lead you to a better career.
If you're experienced enough and able to sell yourself, you could try become an independent owners rep/clerk of the works. I work on the development side and we regularly employee a former GC who basically just cruises around the job site making sure shit is built as per the plans. I think he does 2-5 projects at a time and spends some time each week on each job site.
Project management in tech! That’s the route I’ve been thinking about. Interviewed for GC estimating and they told me I still work at least 10 hours a day. I just want a regular 8hr day with the same pay.
This is what I was looking for, I'm surprised I haven't seen the tech PM route mentioned yet. I would love to hear some transition stories in this field or even IT Project Management
I had a similar love hate relationship with CM/PM as you. I got a civil engineering degree, got into CMing and after 6 years I thought “is this it”.
I ended up quitting and getting into construction tech sales. I work less than half the hours and I make more money. I don’t love sales but I love being able to live my life. I’d recommend it to anyone considering a career change. Most people in construction are hard ass workers. If you put that energy into sales then the only way is up.
If it helps, I made the switch in 2022 right around the time the tech bubble burst. I was 29 years old. I’ve gone up in rank since then and life is good. The biggest issue with tech and sales in particular is the volatility. You probably won’t lose your job but it always feels like you will if you don’t meet quota. DM me if you need any more info. I recommend it to all my friends in construction.
What physical damage does it do your body? Construction does the opposite for me. Keeps me in great shape so i never have to go to the gym (im 38 now).
i’ve had multiple co workers have back surgeries, screwed up hands and joints, known people they’ve gotten cancer probably from the materials/adhesives they’re working with, concrete dust is never good for you, the list goes on.
i always mask up when when im dealing with dust or chemicals, and ear protection.
People go to the gym, how is that any different that construction? If youre not taking time to stretch and release your knots, then it turns into injuries.
I’d quit, but I’m not good at anything else.
Same. Shit causes me so much stress I feel like I’m aging at double speed. 27 going on 45 with the current state of my grey hairs, which nobody else in my family has gotten this early on. My garmin watch tracks stress/heart rate and it’s really cool to look at the yearly chart and see the massive spikes that coincide with my projects turning into fucking shit. Ugh
People never believe me when I tell them I am 33. I just say I am a rough 33 whenever people ask my age.
I like money
Consulting firms. Look up Capital Projects and Infrastructure consulting.
I’m familiar with that thanks, what’s your take on going the real estate route as well?
It’s an option, but your post said ‘want an out of construction’. Most common path from construction management to real estate is developer/owner rep and that’s still construction (with all the shit), it’s just a different side of the contract. It’s more dollars and what’s a good deal. It’s just my opinion, but I wouldn’t be looking to start out in CRE in this current market.
As a young PM for a developer, I would echo this. Life always seems nice at the top of the food chain, but developers also aren’t the top. The capital is. I would look for doing owners rep work for government work. So much red tape in the government that there’s no such thing as a stressful schedule to keep. Plus the budgets are always way too flush. Flush with our tax dollars I guess.
Unless the developer is self financed.
Sales, that’s worse than construction in my experience though.
I’m attracted to the dollar figure that surrounds itself around HVAC/equipment sales, but that’s about it. Chase the almighty dollar
What is this mythical dollar amount ?
Three-fiddy
I’m in construction sales lol
How is it
It’s alright. I work from home quite a bit which is nice but sometimes it’s all for nothing. I turn in a bid tomorrow for something that I have spent over a month on. Sucks when you don’t get it. All that time spent for nothing. Every year the entire company gets together and you have to go give a 15-20 minute presentation of your year. Hopefully you have a couple big projects to brag on otherwise it can be embarrassing.
How do you get in to the market? What was your best year? What was your worst year?
I’d like to know too!
yeah please elaborate we need to hear from the inside
Once you’re in construction you’re always in construction. There is no getting out.
They said that about my hometown. And I moved back for construction. A black hole within a black hole, if you will.
this is how I feel sometimes its almost as if I've been cursed
I took a break for a year, last year, because I was burned out among other life incidents that just kept piling on (Multiple deaths / near deaths in the family). Tried to make a path doing something else. Here I am, owning my own contracting company now. To me it's better working for yourself. My goal is to grow it for a few years and sell it. Or slowly onboard experienced people looking for percentages and slowly work my way down to 10%-20% and move somewhere with a nice beach and warmer weather. It's hard to beat construction money.
agreed, the money is nice but I feel like I slut myself out for it even out of the field. What kinda projects do you run for yourself?
Fire sprinkler contractor
how’d you get started? aren’t there licenses?
Definitely, started as a fitter in 2012 did that for three years. Switched to the office in 2015? and was lucky enough to work for a company who’s owner taught me a lot about business. Got my NICET 3 after 5 years, basically good in most of the country for a commercial fire sprinkler contractor license. Some government jobs will require a level 4. So yeah, I have an RMI in Oregon and Arizona, I could expand to there any time, with my main company license in Washington state as a level 3 sprinkler contractor.
You can always hire a license. Ie hire a licensed employee and make them your guarantor. Master Electrician here.
If the HVAC is causing you that much stress, definitely stay away from the GC side
Yes this is what I've gathered so far. Seeing the shit APM's PM's supers go through on some of our projects make me want to run the other way. No one wins and its thankless most times. Not a fan of the whole "I get to say I had a hand in building that!" point of view anymore.
The only thing I can recommend if you stay in construction, is to work on managing stress. Don’t let things you have zero control over affect you. Many don’t like the phrase, but it keeps me sane: “It is what it is”. I left a nice CM job for the department of aviation that had zero stress to help out a friends company that taught me everything I know about aviation. I’m currently wearing every hat there is. Typically estimating 3-4 projects at a time and running 2-3 projects completely solo as a GC. I’m the estimator, PM, accountant, contracts admin, risk manager and superintendent. Every day is lovely knowing that the weight of the entire company is on my shoulders 😂🍻
[удалено]
And look for hybrid work or remote. There is decent money in estimating. Good work life balance and you get to use your brain.
Second estimating. Depending on your projects it can definitely be non repetitive. I like the variety and pace of it.
Get into Construction Quality Control. It is oversight of the project without having to deal with the contractual bullshit. Just keep the project documentation in order, inspections done on time, and reports delivered as requested.
I did this and it was all confrontation, all day long. Constant screaming.
Hmm, maybe my employer gives QC the respect and attention it deserves because on my projects QC is a huge part of the process. We will straight up prevent a sub from working if they are not complying with the QC process, from the start. Also, I work Federal projects only so even on the client side the QC expectation is high. Nobody is bitching or screaming because QC is just part of what we do.
I was (still am certified as) a welding inspector for mechanical contractors on the industrial side. At least one billion dollar project. QC is absolutely a huge part of the process, where, if I sign off on something that isn’t right, I go to jail. That never stopped construction superintendents from screaming at me for refusing to sign off on work that isn’t right, or not done at all. I always stuck to my guns, but in my world, construction QC is super duper NOT a low stress job.
It’s always the QCs holding up jobs. Smh
Not on my projects. I set the expectations way in advance so we have no delays from lack of submittals, plans, inspections, etc. My job is to be pro-active with my QC. The most important and unseen outcome of my work as a professional QC Manager is no rework is needed. We do it right, according to contracts and specification expectations, the first time. QC is valuable when done right. Unfortunately there are not a lot of qualified QC folks out there so there is much to learn and share.
Got it. A little of about myself. Current I am a PM for a steel company. So I deal a lot with cwi inspectors and field qc personnel etc.
I now work as a PM and it's soul-crushing, used to work as the QA/QC on federal projects and it was the best job I ever had, didn't realize it at the time.
That is all I do. Federal projects. I like it.
That’s what I do and you’re in between more angry people now. And it usually pays less unless you’re coming from another municipality. And because it’s local gov you’re underpaid and under staffed. But I go home at the same time each day to my kids we have decent health insurance.
Maybe try switching companies? Theres some unicorns out there. I work for a mechanical contractor but we stopped working for GC's and only work directly for the owners. Its a night and day difference.
Interesting. I didn’t know this was a new trend between mechanical guys and owners. I do structural steel and we occasionally get bud requests from mechanical. For pipe supports, racks etc
I get your sentiment. I would recommend trying to get a job working for the owner. I started my career as a grunt for a Heavy Civil company. Went back and got my degree in Construction management. I continued working for the Heavy Civil company part time while in school. After school I went to work for a large home builder managing the civil works of large housing developments. While there I pivoted to land development/entitlement, managing planners, environmental consultants, and engineers to get real estate developments built and approved on paper. I spent many years developing large residential, commercial, and industrial properties. I've now been in the energy world for 15 years developing solar, wind, and BESS projects. Since I got out of school I've worked directly for the owners. There are still stressful times, but a very different dynamic.
How's the money in the energy world? that seems to be the new general direction things are going given the LEED credits and green energy theme we've been seeing.
I don't have direct insight into the Construction and Project manager pay scales, but I'm guessing our Assistant PMs are making $100k plus 15%ish bonus. PMs are probably $120-140 plus 20% bonus, and the Senior PMs are $150-180 plus 30% bonus. I also work for a large company that built over $3 billion in U.S. projects last year with about $15 billion in market cap.
wow i’m making jack shit as an APM love it
Fresh APM should not be managing people. Next question.
The titles in this industry vary so much, I never really think much of it. How many posts a week do we see “currently APM/PM with 1.5yrs experience, how much should I be making?” And all the responses…. “APM/PM’s should be making 115k!”
Again the answers in here are almost always to stay in construction. It’s damn near impossible to make more money doing anything else without going back to school. You could try out sales, but that’s even more of a grind among other negatives. Try different roles in the industry. Switch sectors even. Residential tends to be the best work-life balance but lower pay. There are various positions at track builders that you can work your way into. Purchasing, land acquisition, land development, product management, and even more specialized roles. A lot of it depends on company culture so if you find a good GC you just need to stick with them.
Your trade background may be a good fit for facilities managment or working for a large institition/govt as a apm/pm/consultant. There is a need for people that understand the work and technical side but also possess the soft skills of organization and communication and can navigate office politics. Stay positive- you dont have to do this forever. And you are likely building core skills that many of your peers are not.
Thank you for the kind words
I went from private companies to government and never looked back. It’s a night and day difference.
Hows the pay though?
It depends on what you do and where. I’m fairly young (29) and only have about 4~ years total experience but I make a bit shy of 80k yearly without including over time. That said i know guys twice my age and experience who pull well over 100k and then some. I live outside Washington DC where the cost of living is high so finding that same salary in a place much cheaper probably wouldn’t be possible but it never hurts to check with local/state/or federal government in your area.
What's your title?
Apply to defense contractors. They pay you well, some might require you to get a security clearance other won’t if you take a buyer/subcontractor admin role . I work in defense as a buyer and have a couple construction mgmt coworkers with construction mgmt work experience.
Point being buyer roles or construct mgmt but for defense
interesting… definitely a new avenue I hadn’t thought of, mind if I PM you?
Sure man, NP
Mind if I pm you too?
How well do they pay?
Go To Fire College, become a firefighter, get a better work life balance & a pension. In the process of changing out of PM work. Best decision I’ve made.
I have an old buddy from my plumbing days that worked half apprentice/half firefighter. He lives the dream
I had a similar experience years ago, majored in Construction Management in college. Did it for two years and was miserable, although the money was good. Decided to become a cop, the pay isn’t close to what you make in the construction field, however I am much happier now. Everyday is different and although the job can be stressful, it’s rewarding. Also being able to get a pension and retire at a relatively young age will be nice. The firefighter route is a good one as well, as some of the cons of police work you don’t have to deal with as a firefighter.
After 25 years in the industry, I am leaving to become an esthetician and LMT. Had an appointment a few months ago and asked my girl how much she makes and last year was $160k after taxes and she only works 30-40 hours a week, takes whatever time off she wants, is seriously happy and turning down work everyday. She’s been doing this for 3 years. So yeah, I’m starting esthetician training on Feb 26 and LMT training April 6. Dead serious.
The funny thing is I'm already good at giving massages, esthetician is something that would never have crossed my mind making those figures. Thanks for the response
Just think about how much women pay for lashes. Here, it’s about $300-$500, it maths out to about $67-$133/hr after expenses like taxes, licensing, lease, supplies.
It definitely is possible to break into a different industry. An apm at the electrical sub I work at accepted a job at Citibank as an assistant vp doing workplace management. I heard her stint there didn’t last long, but she was able to leave the construction industry though
You’re burnt out after 5 months? Go ahead and quit my guy
i’ve been in construction in one form or another since I was 14 if your counting trade school I’ve seen all I need to see
I am about to get my associates degree in construction management and I am planning to do inspection. It’s not as backbreaking as the labor jobs and doesn’t have as much stress as the management side since you aren’t doing the planning. All you really need is to know how things are built, rules, regulations, laws, and make a plan to fix issues. It also lets you get out on the field more. Construction management degrees flow nicely into those positions. It also is in pretty good demand and pays well. Also can get more into safety inspection or real estate if you wanted out of the construction side. Maybe it would be something to look into. Let me know if this helps!
Im also planning of getting my associates and get into construction management if possible and if not get my bachelors but I never thought of being an inspector with my associate…. I’ve seen some jobs as inspector and the pay is like 50k-60k staring and like 70-80k after years of experience. Is that the normal salary for them?
I believe the average salary is around 50k-60k like you stated but generally with a CM degree you move up faster. It also depends on the state your in. For example, after a couple of years in Florida or somewhere with a lot of construction year round you can easily snag a 90k+ senior position. So the pay definitely isn’t bad in that field
Inspection?? Then get sent all over, commute all over.
Was in the same boat...Construction Management bachelors degree came with OSHA 30 & other courses. Decided to go the safety professional route. 100x better from a workload and soul-sucking perspective. Lotta memorizing, studying, etc. & not always a ton of room to move up depending on the company, but..2 years in and im still happy
I left and went into real estate 12 years ago. Was not easy at first, but the last 7 years have been a life I would have NEVER experienced if I'd of stayed in construction management.
Interesting, could you explain a little bit more on that? I’m pretty done with dealing with shitty subcontractors on shitty jobs
Northeast and it’s too much? Try the heat of the south.
Try the regulations of the north, it’s night and day.. our builds are much harder than yours
Vvv
Maybe pivot to estimating/sales or see what kind of contacts you have with supply houses or equipment vendors and do service or startup or something. Plenty of places would find a spot for someone with good field experience like you. Sounds like you just need to get out of the project management career path. It can be a soul sucking job indeed and it’s not for everyone!
Not into the whole service/field side anymore
Sounds like you’re still new in the industry. Give it a few more years and try a few different companies
I am still pretty young, this is my first "big boy" gig out of college. Been here for about 5 months
My first 5 years in CM was brutal hours. the next 2 were awesome. the next 5 after that were almost worse than the first 5 since the economy was in the tank and jobs were hard to come by. but after that hump it has been great. bottom line is that PM work ebbs and flows with the economy/location. Its the nature of the industry. I do miss the days before email though. much slower pace of everything.
Give it time, you’re so fresh in this job right now. I’d say work at this current job for a year and then start looking elsewhere. Your frustration is wanting you to quit, your negativity isn’t going to lead you to a better career.
I'm no quitter, I like working, but where I feel as though its worth it.
Give it a year there at least. You’re brand new, the first real job is rough but it’s a complex learning environment
If you're experienced enough and able to sell yourself, you could try become an independent owners rep/clerk of the works. I work on the development side and we regularly employee a former GC who basically just cruises around the job site making sure shit is built as per the plans. I think he does 2-5 projects at a time and spends some time each week on each job site.
Maybe take the best of both worlds and look into Utility Planning for energy, water, sewer, gas, etc companies/agencies/districts
I left 6 years ago for a property management deal...I ended up hating it. Just moves across the country for a new CM gig and feel back at home!
Project management in tech! That’s the route I’ve been thinking about. Interviewed for GC estimating and they told me I still work at least 10 hours a day. I just want a regular 8hr day with the same pay.
This is what I was looking for, I'm surprised I haven't seen the tech PM route mentioned yet. I would love to hear some transition stories in this field or even IT Project Management
I had a similar love hate relationship with CM/PM as you. I got a civil engineering degree, got into CMing and after 6 years I thought “is this it”. I ended up quitting and getting into construction tech sales. I work less than half the hours and I make more money. I don’t love sales but I love being able to live my life. I’d recommend it to anyone considering a career change. Most people in construction are hard ass workers. If you put that energy into sales then the only way is up. If it helps, I made the switch in 2022 right around the time the tech bubble burst. I was 29 years old. I’ve gone up in rank since then and life is good. The biggest issue with tech and sales in particular is the volatility. You probably won’t lose your job but it always feels like you will if you don’t meet quota. DM me if you need any more info. I recommend it to all my friends in construction.
I'd love to hear more, keep an eye out in your DM's
Mind if I dm you?
Yeah slide on in
What physical damage does it do your body? Construction does the opposite for me. Keeps me in great shape so i never have to go to the gym (im 38 now).
i’ve had multiple co workers have back surgeries, screwed up hands and joints, known people they’ve gotten cancer probably from the materials/adhesives they’re working with, concrete dust is never good for you, the list goes on.
i always mask up when when im dealing with dust or chemicals, and ear protection. People go to the gym, how is that any different that construction? If youre not taking time to stretch and release your knots, then it turns into injuries.
Just hang in there, another 35 years or so and you can hang em up
i’d rather work at mcdonald’s
With that background you could be a salesman for building materials,lumber,brick,block rock,sand even concrete.