Any construction project managers here?

[2QUIK6]

I'm thinking about taking a few college courses in this area, I've always enjoyed building things, my business is slow, trying to start another business currently, but was thinking of having a fall back plan in case...
A good friend of mine is VP of a construction business and had offered me a project management or superintendent job before things slowed so much, but I wasn't ready to jump at the time...now I have the time to get some education in that area, and maybe in the next year or 2 when construction picks back up and his company starts to think about hiring again I can be more prepared.
I have a ton of IT project management experience for multi-million $$ software devl projects and I know my way around how to construct things, just never had professional experience at construction related tasks. I know plumbing, electrical, structure, flooring, concrete and other basics.

Have any thoughts on this?
Trying to decide between Blueprint reading class and a materials/methods class to get started anyway.
Kind of afraid to get into such a ression prone type of business even though I think I would much more enjoy building things than computer software type of things. My passion for building things is much stronger than my software passion was back in the day. Also, I already have an Engineering bachelors degree.

 

[Junior Samples]

It seems so easy in theory, but even some of who I thought were well organized, nice looking calender with all the trades comming and going at the right time all on paper and posted.... man always a cluster &^%$...only takes one trade to throw a big wrench in the wheel.

Of course too nice and they walk on ya, too mean and they walk out on ya quality wise. So theres always that fine line, and always quality or lack of needs to be inspected and addressed on a daily basis or it snowballs.

And the one trade that in the end can make or brake the finished product is the painting, like a car,.... if you dont give the painters the time and the area free of trades then it will be a train wreck come punch out.

Also with timing issue's ...lets say the paintjob is fantastic, deck work nice, finish coats good, hollow frames nice and smooth.. But theres still 5 weeks left and all the trades come back in for final and destroy them nice sprayed hollow metal door frames, walls er whatever, tools, tool belts scraping, carpet gouging you name it, all trades need to be advised ahead of time that there will be accountability with back charging if the paint job is screwed up.... ever try touching up a scratch on your fender with a brush?...lol


I think in 20 years ive been on maybe 3 or 4 jobs that went good... the rest were a debachle

Anyway go for it... get in there and let em know your all bizz and you expect the same from them.


Mike

 

[BobbyBuick]

I have been doing commercial and residential new construction HVAC for about 30 years, as a salesman and project manager.I have never seen anything like this environment in my career. The trade has been very good to me and my family.Right now sales are struggling .In 1981 it was bad but interest rates were 16.75 % and inflation was out of control.I dont know how Texas is but the midwest is really having trouble with jobs and construction is leading the way.Ive been fortunate to date with my long relationships with some builders and still im trying to save good peoples jobs every day i go to work .On the project managers side it is all fun till something goes wrong and everyone looks for a decision maker to blame for it !So in a word cover your ass and do your homework!

 

[2QUIK6]

Thanks for the insight. Other than my friend who has held the project management and super positions over the last 25 years before becoming VP of this family owned company, I only know one other person in the industry and thats my son-in-laws Dad..he travels all over the country managing new construction of Dave & Busters and several other chain resturants..which is pretty much cookie cutter type construction. Other than those 2, thats all the insight I had.
This particular company that I'm interested in does all of the government type building in the area, court houses, jails, schools, and even some hospitals.
Yeah, the past year here I have noticed hardly any new construction happening...but in the past month I'm starting to notice several construction sites starting up so I would say the bottom has hit here and is now recovering so far.
I have a strong attention to detail and it seems like any time I've had work done at my home, I've always caught them trying to take short cuts and have had to bring it to their attention to correct.... roofers not puttng all the insulation down under my steel roof...window installers not putting insulation around the frames after I just purchased the highest insulated frames they aren't putting insulation around them... When building my dock, the guys driving the post I ended up having to take off work for a week to work with them as they had no clue how to do it correctly so I became their foreman for the week..really I only needed their equipment and I could have done it myself Built my 1500sq/ft garage the way I wanted it after 2 professional contractors told me they could not do what I was asking...me thinking I have no professional experience could do it..why couldn't a professional..so I did it myself and did exactly what they said they could not do with a breeze...
***
ok, I know what you're saying about a person to blame when things don't go right...been there done that for the last 14-15 years building huge software projects as I was the single POC and the go-to guy when things went wrong, so that will not be anything new there..same concept of being too brash and your team will leave..too nice and nothing gets done the way you want it and the customer is then unhappy.

Appreciate the comments

 

[2QUIK6]

Enrolled in a Materials and Methods class and really like it. It's a ton more work than any class I've ever taken it seems..was 16 years ago I got my BS in Computer Science Engineering..but its work that is coming very easy to me it seems, have tons of drawings to do, and several projects that I've already started, one is going out and documenting the construction of a building each week, taking photos and explaining the process being done, luckily there a new courthouse going up just blocks away that has not had the foundation poured yet, met the PM and super of the site and go there each week, I find it facinating work.

 

[626gn]

Sounds like you already have a good construction foundation to work with. This certainly will be instrumental in learning the trade quicker than most. If you truly have a passion for it, you should be able to find steady employment despite the cyclical nature of the industry. Being in the business for many years (last 6 or 7 as a PM), I will tell you that you either have that passion or you don't. Many don't, and this will become readily apparent to you when you start working alongside them. When the industry slows down the first people to go are the one's who just 'go through the motions' every day. The one's who continue to be employed are, for the most part, the one's who have a passion for what they're doing, are good at it, and are always actively striving to learn more. Best wishes on your career change.

 

[2QUIK6]

Thanks for the info and insight. Yeah, being a heavy cyclical industry, I have thought maybe I should have tried something that's not as dependent on the economy doing well, but I've always loved to build things, even long before I was introduced to a computer somewhere around middle school age. Now that I'm getting into it, I wished I would have pursued this area instead of computer software 20+ years ago.
Here's pic of the building I have been following for my project, been following it since the ground work was done for the plumbing and electrical.

 

[Black3]

I see some dowels sticking up for the block work.:wink:

 

[626gn]

Cool. I don't know how involved you are in the project you are currently following but the things you are learning on an actual job site will usually far surpass anything you will learn in a classroom. Getting involved in a renovation project, as opposed to new construction, will be even more valuable as typically renovations are inherently a bit more challenging than new construction.

By the sounds of it, you seem to have an inner drive to succeed in this field, despite your late start. I'm sure you'll do well.