My husband did not go to college, but has worked as a heavy equipment operator and field lead at the same small company for 8 years (straight out of HS). He recently got an awesome opportunity to work as a field engineer at a large construction company, and today was his first day. My brother in law referred him as he has worked at this company for many years, but he also made it through an extensive hiring process. He was understandably extremely nervous to start, he doesn’t have much experience with computers and is used to being primarily in the field, never in an office. I’m wondering what the typical day and expectations of a new field engineer look like. I know eventually he will catch on and it will be his new normal but he is understandably overwhelmed at the moment and would love to be able to give him some advice/encouragement from those who have been in his shoes!

Hi everyone!

I have an upcoming one-hour virtual interview with a Superintendent IV at Kiewit for an entry-level Field Engineer opportunity in their Transportation market. I was hoping to get some advice from anyone who's interviewed with Kiewit or worked as a field engineer.

For some background, I'm a senior studying Civil Engineering at Princeton, concentrating in structural engineering, and graduating in May 2027.

I interned with Bechtel this past summer in a civil/structural engineering role, where most of my responsibilities involved engineering design and technical coordination rather than field construction. I'm also a project manager for Engineers Without Borders (extracurricular club), working on water infrastructure projects in Peru. That has given me some exposure to construction and project coordination, but I haven't worked in a traditional field engineering position.

I'm genuinely interested in moving toward construction operations and spending more time on-site rather than doing design work all day.

A few questions:

1. What should I expect from a one-hour interview with a superintendent at Kiewit? Is it mostly behavioral, technical, or conversational?
2. What types of questions do superintendents typically ask entry-level field engineering candidates?
3. Would my structural design background and limited traditional field experience be a concern, or is that fairly normal for new graduates?
4. Are there specific construction concepts I should review beforehand, especially for transportation/heavy civil work?
5. For current or former Kiewit field engineers, what do you wish you'd known before joining? Any interview advice?

I'd really appreciate any experiences or suggestions. Thanks in advance!

I haven’t asked for a raise in 18 months. This post is not to ask whether or not they deserve a raise.

This post is to get feedback on if today is the day I ask

PX has been leaning on me heavily to keep the job moving and catch risks, etc. because the soup is not cutting it lately

Super hasn’t shown up in three days MIA

Should I ask today since I’m share my PX is stressed out and realizing I am holding this project together

Or do I wait because he’s probably pissed off at the super right now and might see see that I’m taking advantage of the opportunity

Currently work as an electrician, working on my BS in CS, and looking for entry level positions but not getting any call backs.
Looking for advice on how to improve my resume, thanks!

I’m currently a Project Engineer for a subcontractor on a large scale project, and I’m starting to realize operations might not be the best fit for my personality.

Most of my background is in sales, so I’m naturally outgoing. Sometimes I feel like the extroverted guy surrounded by a bunch of quiet, introverted dudes lol.

I also get bored pretty quickly with repetitive work, which is why precon appeals to me. I like the idea of working on different projects, analyzing costs, putting bids together, and being involved in the business side of construction.

Has anyone made the switch from operations to precon and found it to be a better fit? Or am I completely wrong about what precon is actually like?

Hi everyone! I recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a minor in Information Systems and Data Analytics. However, I’ve realized that I’m not particularly interested in that field.

I recently discovered construction management and found the industry really interesting. I’ve started exploring the field through a LinkedIn course, and find it very interesting. My long-term goal is to become a Project Manager, and I understand that starting as a Project Engineer would be a realistic way to get my foot in the door and work my way up.

Since I don’t have a background in construction, I’ve been considering going back to community college to get an associate’s degree in Construction Management. Because I already have a bachelor’s degree, I would only need to complete the remaining required courses, so it wouldn’t take me as long as a typical two-year program.
Personally, I think getting some formal education first would help me build a foundation, understand the industry better, and feel more confident before applying for internships or entry-level positions. However, I’m not sure if going back to school is the best use of my time, or if I should start applying for Project Engineer positions now and learn on the job.
Any insight/advice would be much appreciated

Thank You!

ALSO would love to hear from women working in construction. As a woman entering an industry I'm unfamiliar with, I'm curious about your experiences, any challenges you've faced, and what advice you would give someone just starting out!

I’m a project coordinator at a GC. I handle procurement, review subcontract scopes, communicate with the client and owner’s rep, and manage a lot of the project documentation. On this project I’ve also taken on more of the scheduling: tracking upcoming work, confirming dates and manpower with subs, and checking that materials and approvals are ready.

Our super often misses deadlines, forgets to schedule subs, or schedules them without checking readiness. He doesn’t consistently bring up delays or open questions, so I have to keep asking what’s happening and help work out a recovery plan. I also confirm that subs understand their scope because our PX knows the super misses details and holds me accountable for making sure everyone is on the same page. I have to push for the dates we committed to because the super tends to let subs drive the schedule.

I know this is useful experience, and I want to keep learning. But I haven’t asked for or received a raise in about 15 months. I know the super makes roughly two to three times what I do, and it feels like more of his responsibilities are landing on me as the PX trusts him less. I understand replacing him would be difficult at this stage, but I’m worried I’ve become the cheap solution to a much bigger problem.
How would you look at this? Is this the kind of added responsibility I should be asking to be compensated for, or am I mostly covering for a super who isn’t doing his job?

Hey everyone,

I’m currently mapping out my plans and degree options, and I’m completely stuck between two paths: Construction Engineering Management (CEM) and Building Construction (BC).

the Building Construction (BC) program I’m looking at is strictly a construction management/business so no engineering coursework or path to licensure, whereas CEM sits on the engineering side.

For anyone working in the industry or who graduated from either of these,

How is the work life balance? Does it differ significantly between the engineering/design side vs. commercial CM/field roles? Do PE/CEM paths offer better flexibility compared to project management

How much weight do the FE and PE certifications carry in construction management? Is having a PE a gamechanger for career progression, Or do most general contractors care more about field experience, internships than an engineering license?

Any insights or recommendations would be great 👍

I’m graduating in December and looking for a Project Engineer or APM position with a larger GC ($300M+ annual volume), preferably in OKC.
I’ve been told by several people in other Reddit discussions that I have a strong resume for an entry-level position.
I’ve applied to around 10–15 companies, mostly through their websites, and followed up with recruiters when possible. I’ve gotten a couple of interviews, but I’m wondering if there’s a better approach.
Should I keep applying directly through company websites, reach out to hiring managers, or start using recruiting firms like GPAC?
Just curious what’s worked best for others in the industry.

A retired builder told me about a worker killed by a contractor backing up a truck at 4:30am, before anyone in charge was on site. Got me thinking about the hours nobody’s really watching.

For those running jobs: what goes wrong overnight or early morning? Theft, weather damage, etc.

Do you find out about it first thing when you walk in, or later?

Long-time lurker here. I run a painting subcontractor doing new residential construction for a few of the national builders down in South Florida, and we're at the point where I need a solid PM / operations manager to run the field side.

Figured this sub is the right crowd to ask, since a lot of you live the builder side of this every day.

Day to day it would look like:

- Scheduling interior and exterior paint across multiple communities, lined up with the builders' schedules
- Working with supers on readiness, start dates, and walkthroughs
- Keeping field supervisors and crews on track so homes get finished on time
- Owning punch, touch-ups, QC, and builder issue lists through final
- Keeping materials, draws, and change orders moving with the office

What I'm hoping to find:

- Someone who's been in painting or another finish trade on production / new construction homes
- Organized and doesn't rattle easily when three builders need something at once
- Knows paint systems, prep, and how production painting actually flows
- Bilingual English/Spanish is a big plus
- Comfortable with scheduling and field apps

Pay and benefits are TBD and will depend on experience.

If that sounds like you, or you know someone who'd be a good fit, shoot me a DM. Also happy to hear how other subs have structured this role.

Maybe it's just a California thing, but I'm interviewing for internships, and 3 out of 3 companies I've asked have said they have beer on tap or a wine bar.

I won't name the companies, but they rhyme with BevCon, Belcor Belectric, and Bahill Bontractors

I recently started a new job as a construction PM, and I’m starting to wonder if my expectations are too high or if the bar is just really low where I work.

I was hired to manage projects, build schedules, track budgets, coordinate with contractors, and make sure things stay on track. Pretty standard PM stuff.

But after sitting through department meetings and seeing some of the issues our boss has to bring up, I’m honestly surprised.

For example, one PM who’s been here for two years wasn’t keeping track of their project and ended up receiving the wrong exhaust fans, which led to change orders and delays. Another was tasked with documenting existing structural conditions for the engineers and basically just sent over a bunch of random pictures with no labels, locations, or explanation of what they were looking at.

What surprises me even more is that two of my coworkers, both with around two years in their roles, struggle to put together a basic project schedule. I’m talking about simple things like organizing tasks, adding predecessors, and actually updating the schedule as work progresses.

I’m not saying I’m some amazing PM or that I don’t make mistakes. I still have plenty to learn myself. But I feel like these are pretty basic responsibilities that anyone managing construction projects should be able to handle.

The part that bothers me most is that there doesn’t seem to be much accountability. These issues get brought up in meetings, but nothing really seems to change. It almost feels like you can get away with doing the bare minimum.

Maybe I’m being too critical, especially since I’m still new and don’t know everything that goes on behind the scenes.

For those who’ve been in construction management for a while, is this pretty normal? Or have I just landed somewhere with unusually low expectations?

Hey guys. Been a PE for almost a year now. I’ve learned A TON and have been on such a cool project with a great project team, so I have no complaints in that regard. I enjoy work most days, but always curious about what else is out there.

What I am wondering is what career development looks like for me in terms of pay down the road and if I can make more money in a different field like sales. I see a lot of people saying how shitty their pay is and only make 100k-150k even late careers. Which don’t get me wrong that’s still good pay but I feel like based off of what I’ve seen there are careers in different fields that have better pay for amount of stress.

So for anyone late in construction careers or others that have made a switch can you chime in if it’s worth to stick out or try something new. Money isn’t everything to me but it is something I take into account when making life decisions.

Would anyone here be interested in starting a peer group for people in the early stages of building a commercial contracting business, whether that’s a specialty subcontractor or a turnkey CM/GC?

I’m thinking a group chat or forum, with a monthly or quarterly meetup or call to discuss planning, landing work, growth, and the growing pains that come with getting started. It would be good to connect with people at a similar stage, share what’s working, and track each other’s progress.

A little about me: I’m based in North Carolina and currently work as a preconstruction manager for an ENR Top 100 GC. I have about 9 years of construction experience, primarily on the GC side, with experience in project management, estimating, and preconstruction. I’ve also worked on the specialty subcontracting side.

My plan is to start as a specialty interiors contractor focused on drywall, metal framing, and painting. Initially, I’d pursue very small packages, subcontract the labor, and build the business on the side. The goal would be to build enough capital and consistent earnings to replace roughly 75% of my current income before making the jump full time. For context I already have my unlimited GC license in NC.

Once I’m full time, I’d focus on growing the drywall and interiors business, taking on larger packages, and building the team to support that work. From there, I’d like to use my experience and relationships to expand into GC work, preferably smaller retail and hospitality projects, with the possibility of small multifamily deals as well.

Very long term, my vision is a company doing around $20–25 million annually while keeping overhead lean. I’d like to stay involved in day-to-day operations, ideally with another PM, possibly an APM, and the field support the workload requires. That’s a long way from where I’m starting, but it gives some context for what I’d like to build toward.
I’ve seen smaller projects struggle with communication, follow-through, and execution. I also understand how tight hard-bid work can get and the pressure that puts on contractors. Part of my goal in staying lean is to remain competitive while still doing what we say we’ll do and delivering a good project.

I don’t have everything figured out, which is really the reason for this post. Is anyone else at a similar stage interested in putting a group together, talking openly about the process, and helping each other grow? Whether you’re still planning or already tackling your first few jobs, I’d be interested in connecting. Feel free to shoot me a dm if so.

What kinda stuff do you give your guys during cold weather? We gave out popsicles & sodas on hot days but kinda blanking on hot foods to have on hand now that it's cooling down.

I’m currently in contact with an employee through their personal Facebook account, so I’m a bit worried and want to make sure the company is legit before proceeding. Has anyone worked there or applied there before? How’s the work environment, and is their staff house for female employees safe and decent?
I’d really appreciate any feedback or personal experiences. Thank you!

So what is everyone using these days?
Big guys, little guys, solo contractors.

I'm trying to find what has everything you need an nothing you don't.
Procore is expensive, Fieldwire has decent reviews.

Is there anything ya'll are using to put together schedules and logging your daily reports?
Aside from Excel or notebooks.

Cheers!

For the bros and ladies with office based positions ( not on site) what are your day to day hours ?

What types of companies provide the best opportunities to own equity in some day. Would it be a subcontracting business, or a general contractor?

What stage and how much revenue would be a target company to pursue buying a stake.

What kind of skills and experience are needed to be an equity holder. Can a regular PM do this?

I feel it would be very rewarding and motivating having a stake in a company, and not just collecting a salary and the occasional bonus.

I’ve recently been hired into an estimating position collecting bids for new builds for restaurants, gas stations, etc.

I’ve been in construction project management for 5 years slowing moving up from tiny projects into bigger projects.
My new job being the biggest I’ve done.

In a month, I’ve noticed a constant stream of requests for extensions, late submissions (1-2 weeks), last minute RFIs, revisions.

The best way I can compare this to is like being a teacher trying to collect homework assignments with my own deadline to submit grades to the higher ups. 😅
I know I need the bids…but they’re useless to me if we’ve already submitted our own bid or because they’re sent in so last minute, that I’m overwhelmed with emails that I can’t look at them in time.

My co-worker says to always just politely accept the bids as to not discourage sub-contractors from sending and just mark them late. But I don’t want to lie to them if their bids just get filed and not looked at and then they call in a month looking for feedback.