I originally planned to be examining the communication lines within the company. This would mean that I would spend most of my time in the office and on the phone calling various clients, subcontractors, former employees of the company and current employees of the company. But that all changed after one of the project managers, was unable to continue working for the company. This meant that with my little technological knowledge of construction that I would have to take over as a project manager for a remodel. At first I was worried, but it turned it out to be an invaluable experience and one that I will most certainly never forget.
The importance of leadership and fostering effective communication between parties was an essential component of the job. Knowing how to respond to the different dynamics of groups was also critical to completing the job.
I was nervous at the onset of finding out that I would be forced to oversee a remodel due to my lack of knowledge in the field of construction science. I soon realized that being an effective communicator, I could make up for my lack of construction knowledge. I found often times that when people would ask my question they weren’t looking for my input, only my reassurance. I have also developed a vast knowledge of the construction industry both as an industry and as a science.
I had always had an interest in the construction industry, as I have always regarded it as such an incredibly important force to our country and I have always toyed around with the idea of one day being involved in it. Until this past summer I had never known the many parts and pieces in the construction industry and I absolutely know that I do want to be involved in some way or another.
I touched on this in one my earlier journal entries, but I have had the opportunity to come into contact with so many different types of people in the construction industry that it is funny to realize that their are disgruntled ones and happy ones throughout the whole chain. It is critical to be an optimist if you are considering a career in the construction industry as nothing really ever goes according to plan and if your unable to accept that fact, then you will find yourself disgruntled. But if you see the big picture and realize that everything will turn out eventually, you will find yourself much happier.
More than anything you should love the variety of people that you work with.
The company I worked with was fairly loose and was not that concerned with following an heirarchy or following the “corporate” way to do things. I would actually recommend that company tighten up some of the screws, but as my supervisor said, “If it gets done and its somewhat on time, somewhat on budget and the client is happy. Then who cares how you get there.” And I think that is pretty good advice.
I am so happy that I went a different route than many of the other Jepson students and got involved in an often overlooked industry by students at UofR. The importance of Construction is wide and far-reaching and the quality of the people you work with is second to none. I think construction is superior to other industries because you work with people from so many different backgrounds regarding socio-economicc class, race, education, interests, and pretty much anything else you can think of. I would recommend it to other students if they are willing to get their hands dirty and want to visibly see the fruits of their labor. I am thankful for selecting this internship as it allowed me to be a part of such a different world from the UR campus.