When it comes to career management, many early- and mid-career construction professionals find themselves asking one big question: “How do I get to the next level?” Whether it’s a Foreman hoping to gain field management experience on the path toward becoming a General Superintendent, or a Project Executive with their sights set on the C-suite, construction workers know that to get ahead, they need to build up certain skills, experiences, and relationships in their current roles.
We work with thousands of these professionals each year, and our consultants want to offer their unique perspectives on how construction workers in different roles can prepare themselves to succeed as they move forward in their careers. To that end, we’ve put together a Career Pathways Series, focused on offering practical career development advice for construction professionals.
In this article, we focus on what it takes to become a Senior Project Manager. Because career pathways might look a little different across construction sectors, we spoke with Billy Doubraski (Vice President in our Heavy Civil Division) and Bo Stevenson (Market Leader in our Glazing/Curtain Wall Division) about the trends they see in their industries, as well as what advice they’d give to aspiring Senior Project Managers. Here’s what they told us:
In general, what kind of career progression leads to a Senior Project Manager role?
Bo: The two most common pathways to senior project management in glazing and curtain wall: folks either start in the field and work their way up, then move to the office, or they graduate with a four-year construction degree and go straight into an office role.
Is one pathway better than the other?
Bo: They both have their benefits and drawbacks. For the folks in the field, they develop a sense of leadership and get their hands on the work for a long time before they start to lead other people in that work. So their tenure as a Project Manager on their way to Senior Project Manager is often a lot shorter than those on the degree path, because they’ve been developing that leadership gene for a long time. People naturally gravitate toward them and ask questions.
Billy: On the other hand, Professional Engineer certifications are highly sought after and employees with a college degree have an easier pathway to that achievement. Degree programs also train graduates to show a certain level of polish, which is really helpful when dealing with clients — and that’s a huge part of a Senior Project Manager’s job. You can definitely learn that polish coming from the field, but it tends to take longer, so college graduates can rise to those roles a little easier in some cases.
Bo: There’s definitely a place for both. For example, there’s sometimes a conflict between the “old school” desire to pick up the phone and get the job done, and the reality of how litigious relationships between clients and contractors often are. I hear from Senior Project Managers all the time that construction has become just a giant courtroom, so there’s a huge need for the people coming out of the education world who have been taught to write the CYA emails, go to the seminars, and stay plugged into that whole world. But when it comes down to it, projects still need to get built, so you also need the folks who pick up the phone and do what needs to get done. There can be some butting of heads with this, but the construction industry needs them both.
How long will it take someone in the field to move into an office/project management role?
Bo: There’s no set rule, but it often mirrors someone’s post-high school education path. Like a two- or four-year degree, some folks might put in two years in the field before moving into an office role, and some might take four. If you’ve only got two years of field experience, you’d have to be pretty darn special to come out and be respected immediately in the office, but that does happen. It’s especially common with second- or third-generation glazing folks who grew up in the field. They’ve had some exposure through their parents, so their own technical roles tend to have a faster turnaround time.
What about the time it takes to move from entry-level project management to senior project management?
Billy: Like Bo said, once they’re in project management, employees with a field background often have a quicker transition into senior project management because they’ve built their careers from the ground up in the field. So it might take them longer overall to get to a Senior Project Manager role than someone who graduates and goes straight into project management, but once they get there, they have the respect and they’re aces at what they do.
Bo: And keep in mind, whoever is making decisions about promoting someone into senior project management has their own career trajectory in mind, whether they have a field or degree background. So they often want the people they hire to reflect their own career pathways.
Billy: Yeah, there’s a desire to find someone with like minds and like career paths. Sometimes even if there’s not a need, if a hiring manager finds someone with a career path like their own, they’ll try to get them hired. The thought process is, “They’ll see the work the way I see it.”
If someone wants to be a Senior Project Manager, what are the most important skills for them to develop throughout their careers?
Billy: I’d say the top three things for a Senior Project Manager are that they’ve got to understand the financials, be able to communicate with a client, and know how to run a team. So for the financial side — cost control, scheduling, some understanding of estimating... you’ve got to have a sense of how these things work. And you’ve also just got to know how to conduct yourself in face time with a client.
Bo: My top three things would be similar to Billy’s, but I’d also add the ability to mentor. When I tell a client “this candidate can mentor your younger Project Managers,” that candidate gets an interview almost every time.
Put simply, what makes a good Senior Project Manager?
Billy: Empathy for the folks in the field and for the client.
Bo: A balance of patience and determination.
Are you seeing any trends in what’s being asked of Senior Project Managers?
Bo: HR teams are increasingly pulling Senior Project Managers into interviews — they want them to listen to how candidates present themselves, ask them questions, etc. So it’s a good idea for folks with senior project management goals to learn how to interview and how to make decisions about hiring. Just watch the people in those roles, and find ways to be plugged into those processes. Drafting and developing talent is becoming a key skill set for Senior Project Managers — knowing what you need for your team and how to spot it, and how to spot the potential for it so you can develop it.
What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to someone on either career path who wants to be a Senior Project Manager?
Billy: Two words: “Field exposure.” That’s the real leg up to senior project management in heavy civil — to know what it’s like on site, how to run crews, manage subs, and then marry that up with experience as a Project Engineer, Assistant Project Manager, and Project Manager. And frankly, the Superintendent on the job is going to like the Senior Project Manager with that exposure a whole lot better! So people coming from an academic background may not have that field exposure, but they can ask for it. Even if they don’t get it right away, company leadership is going to notice that initiative and desire to learn, because there’s such a need for it.
Bo: My advice would reflect that: “Ask for it.” Ask for homework. Ask to take small things off the Senior Project Manager’s plate: “Hey, can I do that, and will you check my work?” Go to the Estimator and say, “Can I do a couple takeoffs for you?” Ask for learning opportunities. Be proactive in seeking out growth opportunities and make yourself stand out.
Thank you to Billy and Bo for their insights on career pathways to senior project management. Keep an eye out for future installments of our Career Pathways series, and let us know if you have specific construction careers you’d like advice on!
