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Ishmael Preer
IDSC 2190 11:00am to 12:15pm
4/14/16

Career Research Paper

For my career research paper I decided to research a career in project management that
specialized in construction. So what is project management? "Project management is the
application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet the project
requirements (Corporate). In construction my job would be to plan, coordinate, budget, and
supervise construction projects from start to finish (Construction Managers). For my research I
interviewed an employee at commercial construction company known as Robins & Morton for
more information about my respected career choice.
Brian Hale, a project manager at Robins & Morton, gave me some insight on his
experience working for a commercial construction company. Founded on the principles of
quality, integrity and commitment, Robins & Morton is one of the leading healthcare general
contractors and healthcare construction management firms in the United States (Robins). Mr.
Hale takes great pride in his job and appreciates being a part of a large healthcare construction
management firm. As a project manager for Robins & Morton, his current job is to manage the
internship program for college students. He is responsible for coordinating meetings and
scouting out future employees for Robins & Morton. Although it is a change from managing
actual construction site, he enjoys his time to meet new students and help them achieve their
career goals.

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Mr. Hale shared with me that his work make him feel as if he is self-employment. As a
project manager he is required to submit a work a set amount of hours per week but he can
decide on how much time he spends working each day. For example he can decided to work all
of his hours in the first couple of day in the beginning of the week and leave himself the last few
as days off. This flexibility allows Mr. Hale to have fulfillment at his job and helps him build his
life around his work.
Some of the job titles at Robins & Morton include the following: project management
estimating, scheduling, office engineering, field engineering, 3D Modeling/ BIM, and several
more. Jobs can vary from on-site work to off-site work.
One of the best part of his job is having the ability to travel. Traveling is essential
component to a project manager, mostly because your job depends on the location of the
construction site. Typically as a project manager you arent in the same location for long. It
mostly just depends on the amount of time it take to complete the job, it can range from one year
to up to 3 years. For Mr. Hale traveling allows him to see new locations within the United States
and it offers him the ability to meet new people.
Through further research into my career I found out the employment in construction
management is projected to grow 5 percent from 2014 to 2024, although employment growth
will provide many new jobs, simultaneously a large amount of construction managers are
expected to retire over the next decade, resulting in additional job openings (Construction
Managers). This means that now is a good time to get into the field of construction. The medium
salary for a project manager at a construction company is $85,630 per year and $41.17 per hour.

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Some important skills in this field include: analytical, business, customer-service,
decision-making, initiative, leadership, speaking, technical, time-management, and writing.
Although education is important in the field, actual experience in constructions seems to hand in
hand to those with a bachelors degree in building science, civil engineering, or construction
management. Large construction companies typically employ people with both construction
experience and a bachelors degree in a construction-related field. A combination of both
education and construction experience can increases the likely hood of obtaining a higher
position and wage a company.
Many construction managers have a main office, but they spend most of their time
working out of a field office at the construction site, where they monitor the construction process
and make daily decisions about managing the work load (Construction Managers). Upcoming
construction managers are typically hired as assistants or interns and work under the guidance of
an experienced manager. Mr. Hale at Robins & Morton is responsible for this. "The training
period may last several months to several years, depending on the company (Construction
Managers).
So why did I pick a career in Project Management specializing in construction? Well I
enjoy working with a group of people in order to solve a problem. I feel like with a career in
project management I can implement my skills in organization, problem-solving, and team work.
It's essential that project managers have strong analytical and organizational skills so that they
can delegate tasks (Project Manager). To me being a project manager is about having the ability
to lead and influence those around you to work together to complete a task. I enjoy the challenge
and I also enjoy having the ability to work with others. I also like the flexibility of being able to

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work either inside an office or outside on a construction site. This flexibility suits me well and is
one of the major draw points for me.
Now how do I plan on pursuing a career in Project Manager? Well it starts with
graduating with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. I believe with my emphases in Business,
Leadership, and Environmental Design I can achieve my goal of becoming a project manager in
construction. By knowing the trade of business, having a leadership mentality, and acquiring a
designers view point, I can become more marketable for project manager jobs.
Post-graduation I plan on gaining experience in construction management by interning
for a commercial construction company for capstone in the summer of 2017. This summer I plan
on interning for an organization called Alabama Rural Ministry. Alabama Rural Ministry or
ARM dedicates their time to not only missionary work but also in home restorations. I plan to
sharpen my skills in construction management through their home restoration projects and gain
experience for my resume.
After-graduation I hope to find a job in construction using both my construction
experience and a bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies that focuses on project
management.

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Work Cited

1. Construction Managers Bureau of Labor Statistics. 17, December 2015.

<http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/construction-managers.htm#tab-1>
2. Corporate Education Group
<http://www.corpedgroup.com/resources/pm/WhatisaPM.asp>
3. Project Manager: Job Duties & Career Requirements Study.com.
<http://study.com/articles/Project_Manager_Job_Duties_and_Requirements_for_a_Caree
r_in_Project_Mgmt.html>
4. Robins & Morton. <http://www.robinsmorton.com/>
5. Interview: Brian Hale, a project manager at Robins & Morton.