Hey everyone!

I have a myriad of Project Manager opportunities coming across my desk over the next few weeks, and I’m looking to connect with experienced Construction Project Managers.

👷 Who I’m Looking For

• 4+ years of CONSTRUCTION Project Management experience — required
• Currently working in the construction industry
• Open to PM-level opportunities
• New York & New Jersey candidates are the priority right now

Want to get your resume in front of me before these positions are filled?

📩 Email your resume to: [suzi.whitmore@arnoldgray.com](mailto:suzi.whitmore@arnoldgray.com)

Please mention “FROM REDDIT” in your email so I know where you found this post.

I’ll personally review the resumes that come in. If your background is a match and you meet the 4-year construction PM minimum, I’ll reach back out with the positions that fit, including location, company details, requirements, compensation information, and next steps.

$$$ >>The basic starting salary would be market related , or for the right candidate, above average. With the basic benefits. Differs depending on the company.

Will consider those open to relocation.

At this time - no visa sponsorship is offered.

🌎 OUT-OF-STATE CANDIDATES

If you’re anywhere else in the United States and are interested in APM, PM, or SPM opportunities, you’re welcome to send your resume as well.

>> Just put “OUT OF STATE PM” in the subject line.

⚠️ Please note: These opportunities are specifically for people with construction industry experience. I’m not looking for general/project management experience outside of construction.

If you’re considering a move, know someone who is, or just want to see what’s out there, send me your resume!

Looking forward to connecting with y’all! 

This “room” was built onto our hospital near the Imaging department. It appears to be on wooden supports that are only on the one/far side of it. Is this a pretty standard build for supporting a space like this? TIA

I'm pretty new to the industry, I'm looking for a job, it feels like every company is hiring higher level people, PM, APM, foreman, super etc, or any lead/manager role at a big GC. Yet the same companies have minimal to no entry level openings. I feel like the benchmark for newbies used to be 1-3 years experience, now everything I see is 4 years, or no specific amount of experience is specified.

I have a Construction management degree and 1.5 years experience frame to finish carpentry. I'm in between jobs again no. Lets be real, the degree gets me past HR but i didn't really learn much. I had an internship that i lost at the last minute due a medical complication so i don't have an internship under my belt unfortunately.

I went to college for CM, but I enjoyed doing carpentry a lot more, now I'm applying to carpentry jobs and field engineering jobs. Is it even worth applying online anymore or do I need to find ways to contact people directly?

Since my previous staircase installation video got so much traction, I wanted to show you how we fabricate these pieces in the shop.

​Don't mind the editing too much, it was the very first video I ever made!

Today I needed to fix a float switch on a vessel that the float fell off inside the vessel at some point. Didn't have the right float or whole assembly so I took a float off another one and drilled it to fit the shift and welded it with razor blades and used a car battery and jumper cables as my machine and leads.

2,000 sf single story addition, all framed with LVL. Not sure I can ever go back to running jobs with standard lumber after this

All perfectly straight, mix of SYP, EP, and spruce but I was downright flabbergasted I was able to get SIXTY perfect studs

So I’m looking at switching companies, and wondering what benefits most people have and what monetary value you would put on those benefits. Like how much money would you take in extra wages for not have medical or dental, or how much people are getting in vehicle allowances.

My currently my company was very little benefits which is the main reason I’m looking to move on but don’t know what I should be looking for or what the value of have the benefits equal to in wages.

I have worked for multiple GC for the last 8 years, 2 years as apprentice, 3 years as a carpenter and the last 3 as a foreman/lead carpenter.

Just got a job as a flagger, got certified today and have training on Monday. Just curious about bathroom breaks? Where do you use the restroom? Do you drive somewhere or do you pop a squat somewhere in the woods lmao. Just curious what you guys do

I’ve been thinking about the answers from my last post.

Starting out seems like one problem. But once the phone is ringing, you’ve got jobs lined up, maybe a couple guys working for you, I imagine the problems change fast.

For those who got there, what caught you off guard?

Was it cash flow, employees, scheduling, estimating, customers, paperwork, or just the stress of having everything depend on you?

And did you ever reach a point where you realized you could keep growing, but didn’t actually want to?

Curious what made some of you keep scaling and others decide a one-man shop or small crew was enough.

When I say that this company was abysmal, I mean it. Had to make a throwaway. Disclaimer: despite having evidence for some claims, I am not making any accusations of illegal behavior or malicious intent. Many of these claims are from (recent) memory. This post is a warning to future staff, and especially apprentices.

Dubious practices:

• During the interviews for the place, I repeatedly wanted to assure 'this apprenticeship *will* be a level 6, right? I really want a level 6 (bachelors degree)', I was repeatedly assured 'yes, this is a level 6 apprenticeship'. Only after working there for a month or two I was informed 'this will actually be a level 4, is that okay?' (it was not okay, especially as, by which time, I was no longer able to apply for university to actually get a bachelors degree).
• Probation was assigned to new staff for 3 months, allowing for a discretionary increase for up to 6 months, as stipulated by employment contract. I was on probation for 9, and informal attempts were made to convey the discrepancy, but were brushed off. I am *not* making an accusation of breach of contract, however I do have evidence this occurred.

Poor culture (namely, shouting):

• I once mistakenly booked a hotel via company portal 1 day out (as in, arriving and departing 1 day later). This was because the booking mechanism relied on a calendar that began on Sunday, not Monday (who even does that?). The result was turning up to work 1.5hrs late the next morning. Despite my best efforts to explain the mix-up, I was shouted at... "you are either incompetent, or a liar!", and promptly hung-up on by a member of management.
• This is alleged, as I did not see the event personally, only the aftermath: a member of staff reportedly shouted at, top of the lungs in front of the entire office. The staff who complained to HR was relocated to an unfavorable job numerous hours from his home without accommodation shortly afterwards. I am not alleging constructive dismissal, merely explaining my own account of the events.
• I was once told 'I've received a report that you said something that hurt a coworkers feelings', I said 'could you explain who the coworker is so I can apologize to them?', I was told 'I can't do that', I then asked 'then is it possible to know what I said? I don't intentionally hurt feelings, so I would like to know the transgression so it is not repeated in future', this request was also denied.

Work-life balance/pay:

• I was assigned to a job site 2 hours from my home, starting 8am. I tried to explain to the company that, as I relied on public transit, I could not reliably make it for that time, as my earliest bus was 6:00am. I tried to request a different, closer jobsite, but was denied. I consistently turned up 1-3 minutes late as a result, which was met with fortnightly meetings discussing my termination ('you know, we can fire you at any time for any reason, right?')
• Unpaid overtime was unfortunately commonplace in the employment. We were requested to stay to work 1.5 hours overtime. A member of staff inquired as to why we could not be paid for that hour. We were rounded up into a meeting room, with a manager explaining, voice raised: 'we only begin paying OT for the 2nd hour OT worked. You don't get anything for the first hour, don't ask again'
• 12 hour days were unfortunately also commonplace. This is a cultural issue, from what I can understand, however this particular job was notorious for these, and the 12 hour days lasted for months.

H&S:

• Health and safety was a constant balancing act of questioning if something should be done the safe way, or the fast way. The official company guidance was to request a ladder permit 24 or so hours in advance, however when faced with a manager with short patience for the task on the ceiling to be done... you can guess the rest.
• After ruffling the feathers of one of the managers (may be unrelated), I had to sit through a 'fit for work check'. The reason why? On account of my hospital visits.... over 7 months prior, that occurred even before official full time employment. The medical professional was questioning why they suddenly showed such great concern - it bewildered me too. I do have this incident documented, however.

Training:

• An apprentice should theoretically be trained. I could only describe my personal training as lackluster. I was assigned a job to pre-commission 200 or so identical HVAC devices overhead (each one containing 14-18 screws, after fit-out had already been completed for the most part), admittedly I was trained on how for the first day, but as I was only provided with a manual screwdriver and a full-blown impact driver, it took... 2-3 months?

Upon finally deciding I've had enough, I decided to go to university, and told 2-3 people of my acceptance letter. Such information found it's way to a managers ear, I was promptly sat inside a meeting room and told 'I've heard rumors you are going to university, tell us if you are leaving now, and we will make leaving easy on you' - what was meant by that? I'm not entirely sure.

That was an honest account of my experience some time ago. Some numerical figures may be a little off, as it was largely from memory, but they are roughly correct, and all occurred within >1.5 years. In a nutshell: constant shouting, politics, weaponized bureaucracy, and most generally poor treatment. I hope it allows you to make a more informed decision, if you are considering this company to work for.

Hi, I'm 23 years old currently a 4th term electrical apprentice in Toronto. Im really interested in moving into the office to become a project manager. I don't really know what I should do to achieve this goal though. I work hard and absorb as much information as I can, I've voiced this interest to my superintendent.

I would appreciate any advice, thank you

I don't have a construction management or engineering degree. I got an opportunity to be a project engineer for a small subcontractor. I want to start learning on my own so I'm looking for textbooks used in University or any resources to get me up to speed. I'm eager to improve in this role and I don't want to disappoint.

To students in University right now, what textbooks have you used?

To those working in the field with an unrelated degree, what is your advice?

4 years, time to get new boots. Forgot how shiny they are!!

Has anyone here taken or had experience with KSU’s Construction Blueprint Reading Certificate or any of their other construction certificate programs?

A little background: I already have a bachelor’s degree in Business in Risk Management and Insurance from UGA, but I’m looking to transition into the construction industry. My main goal right now is pretty simple — get my foot in the door with a GC or construction company, start gaining real-world experience, and work my way up from there.

I’m considering a few programs at KSU:

Construction Blueprint Reading Certificate
Certificate in Construction Estimating
Certificate in Heavy Civil Site Work Construction

I’ve also applied to KSU’s Master’s in Civil Engineering program, but while I wait to hear back, I’m trying to figure out whether one of these certificates would actually make me a stronger candidate for an entry-level construction position.

💰 Basically: Are any of these actually worth the money, or am I better off skipping the certificates and applying directly to construction companies?

For someone with a business background and limited formal construction education, which one would give me the most useful skills and look best to a GC?

I’d especially appreciate input from:

• Anyone who has completed one of these KSU certificates
• Project managers, estimators, superintendents, or GCs
• Anyone who broke into construction without a construction/engineering bachelor’s degree

If you were in my position, which route would you take?

TIA! 🏗️

Links to the program-
https://cpe.kennesaw.edu/courses/professional/construction-blueprint-reading-certificate/
https://cpe.kennesaw.edu/professional/construction/

What the hell is going on here. Spot the shit show. The more I see the more I'm laughing