What do you do for a living?

[sjsandman01]

Construction Superintendent

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Operations Analyst for one of the largest banks in the country. Also do car audio installs on Saturdays.

Update: took a promotion from the original posting about 8 months ago. Just finished my MBA and switched over to an IT services firm as a Legal Operations Manager.

 

[I_squared_r]

I was an automotive mechanic for 7 years.. but 3 years ago I moved to BIM coordination then electrical design engineer for high-rise buildings in NYC. I was just offered a position as a "Engineer" at another firm. It's a very general title because they want me to learn mechanical and bounce between all the disciplines. I don't have my bachelors, but being a master of BIM and all the programs has opened many doors for me. I'm trying to collect as much knowledge about the construction industry as possible and hopefully will lead to business owner or project manager.

 

[2kwik4u]

I was an automotive mechanic for 7 years.. but 3 years ago I moved to BIM coordination then electrical design engineer for high-rise buildings in NYC. I was just offered a position as a "Engineer" at another firm. It's a very general title because they want me to learn mechanical and bounce between all the disciplines. I don't have my bachelors, but being a master of BIM and all the programs has opened many doors for me. I'm trying to collect as much knowledge about the construction industry as possible and hopefully will lead to business owner or project manager.

It's amazing how much that software has progressed. I was in the architectural field in the late 90's, early '00s, and everything was still VERY much 2D based. Moving to something like Revit alone was a MAJOR undertaking. Now we have these BIM's that have all the disciplines designing in the same place. I wonder how much this has really increased the efficiency in the construction world though. My last foray into that was about this time last year working on the cooperage equipment in the Old Forester Experience in downtown Louisville. We still had some MAJOR conflicts that had to be resolved from time to time despite the GC having a full BIM setup.

Regardless of it's effectiveness, if you hold the keys to the BIM, you'll go far. There isn't a discipline that isn't represented there, and those that understand how it works are in high demand!

 

[I_squared_r]

It's amazing how much that software has progressed. I was in the architectural field in the late 90's, early '00s, and everything was still VERY much 2D based. Moving to something like Revit alone was a MAJOR undertaking. Now we have these BIM's that have all the disciplines designing in the same place. I wonder how much this has really increased the efficiency in the construction world though. My last foray into that was about this time last year working on the cooperage equipment in the Old Forester Experience in downtown Louisville. We still had some MAJOR conflicts that had to be resolved from time to time despite the GC having a full BIM setup.

Regardless of it's effectiveness, if you hold the keys to the BIM, you'll go far. There isn't a discipline that isn't represented there, and those that understand how it works are in high demand!

The problem with BIM is that companies are confused to what BIM is and the skills required. I have seen people out-sourcing BIM to India and the quality is crap. It's the worst thing that I have ever seen. They copy the design drawings pipe-by-pipe and send it to the GC for conversion to shop drawings. And compounding the problem is that the design engineers know nothing about construction. Coming into this company as sort of BIM consultant I have learned that designers know nothing about the real world and it's up to the contractors or competent BIM coordinators to fix everything. And the owners know and are not shy to tell the designers "I only need your drawings to get the approval of DOB and AHJ, my contractor will build everything." That's right, they don't necessarily care what the designer puts on drawings because their contractor is going to create their own as-built drawings. I think the future is design-build construction and that's where i'm looking to go. Almost everything under one roof at the GC office. How I fit in that equation is important to me. Project Manager? Engineer? BIM manager? and that's what i'm trying to discover now.

 

[2kwik4u]

The problem with BIM is that companies are confused to what BIM is and the skills required. I have seen people out-sourcing BIM to India and the quality is crap. It's the worst thing that I have ever seen. They copy the design drawings pipe-by-pipe and send it to the GC for conversion to shop drawings. And compounding the problem is that the design engineers know nothing about construction. Coming into this company as sort of BIM consultant I have learned that designers know nothing about the real world and it's up to the contractors or competent BIM coordinators to fix everything. And the owners know and are not shy to tell the designers "I only need your drawings to get the approval of DOB and AHJ, my contractor will build everything." That's right, they don't necessarily care what the designer puts on drawings because their contractor is going to create their own as-built drawings. I think the future is design-build construction and that's where i'm looking to go. Almost everything under one roof at the GC office. How I fit in that equation is important to me. Project Manager? Engineer? BIM manager? and that's what i'm trying to discover now.

I concur. Has to be good information, has to accessible to everyone involved, and has to be realistic to what can actually be constructed.

I do similar work as a mechanical engineer and get comments all the time about "draw whatever you want, I'll figure it out"......well that prompted me very early in my career to find ways to get involved in the shop. I stick my nose into every single thing the shop makes that has my name on the drawing. I bugged them at first, until they realized I was there to learn and make life easier for them. Now our drawings are rarely "asbuilt", instead the design is thought out ahead of time knowing the limitations of the shop doing the work. It takes a "full service" firm for that to really get moving in the construction industry. Gotta have all disciplines under one roof. From the architect to the general contractor. If you drop one of those links, all the prep work goes away.

I'm going to rant for a minute on the design engineers knowing nothing. I blame two things for this lack of seasoning. Engineering firms are constantly pushing to be more profitable, which leads to hiring junior engineers instead of senior level positions. Sure they can do the math, but they don't know how to put it together. There is no real world understanding built into the application of the math. This only gets remedied with time and experience. There is simply no other way, than to really see what happens in the field to solve the problem, and what implications it has based on the math you did in the office. Until that understanding is firmly set with experience, the design engineer should work at a junior level and be reviewed heavily. The second issue is the constant push for college education. This has driven the price of admission higher, which in turn drives the desire for higher salaries, which is keeping young people away from "hands on" trades and positions. Most often the best engineer in the building is the one that worked on the shop floor, or installed the equipment in his early career. That guy will have far better insight into what is REALLY happening than any freshly minted engineer from college. Yet the pay disparity is typically the other way around. The kid with the degree will get a higher wage than the guy with the experience. That devaluing of experience, and overvaluing of formal education will continue the "dumb engineer" trend. It's hard to find a company that values experience as a valid form of credentialing anymore. Not sure why, but that sure seems the status of the current workforce.

Sorry for the rant

 

[I_squared_r]

You're on point with your rant. I would've been the perfect candidate for designing cars because of my mechanic experience. Basically I had reverse engineered problems for 7 years of my life and thats advantageous to designing things. Instead I stumbled into the construction industry, but I carry that mechanical aptitude with me. And fortunately the aptitude has been respected in my industry. I've had a job interviewer (owner of the company) tell me, "But you don't have your bachelor's degree" and I replied "me and you both know that isn't important to my performance" and she AGREED with me! There are other people that struggle because they haven't experienced real world things and in the fashion of current memes: "You never struggled to fix things, and it shows."

 

[2kwik4u]

You're on point with your rant. I would've been the perfect candidate for designing cars because of my mechanic experience. Basically I had reverse engineered problems for 7 years of my life and thats advantageous to designing things. Instead I stumbled into the construction industry, but I carry that mechanical aptitude with me. And fortunately the aptitude has been respected in my industry. I've had a job interviewer (owner of the company) tell me, "But you don't have your bachelor's degree" and I replied "me and you both know that isn't important to my performance" and she AGREED with me! There are other people that struggle because they haven't experienced real world things and in the fashion of current memes: "You never struggled to fix things, and it shows."

I was the same way. Had some sympathetic bosses that let me get my foot in the door in R&D without a degree, using my mechanical aptitude as my only real credential. I left there and took a risk on teh family business that didn't pan out. Went to return to R&D and found nobody would hire me without that piece of paper. SO I took 4 years and went back and got that paper. Now the combination of real world experience and formal education is a potent combo. My compensation reflects that too. Have a shade over $40k invested in my education over 4yrs time. I'm making a shade over $50k/yr more now than I was when I left the family business to return to school. Pretty clear the paper was worthwhile, however in my interview it was quite literally a checkbox that had to be clicked to continue. VP of engineering asked "Do you have a degree?"..."yes sir"..."Good, now, what do you really know?". They are far more concerned with what I can do, than they are with what piece of paper is hanging on the wall..........sucks that it works that way, and it really shouldn't. There are far smarter and more capable folks out there than myself, that will get passed over because of that lack of paper.

 

[I_squared_r]

I was the same way. Had some sympathetic bosses that let me get my foot in the door in R&D without a degree, using my mechanical aptitude as my only real credential. I left there and took a risk on teh family business that didn't pan out. Went to return to R&D and found nobody would hire me without that piece of paper. SO I took 4 years and went back and got that paper. Now the combination of real world experience and formal education is a potent combo. My compensation reflects that too. Have a shade over $40k invested in my education over 4yrs time. I'm making a shade over $50k/yr more now than I was when I left the family business to return to school. Pretty clear the paper was worthwhile, however in my interview it was quite literally a checkbox that had to be clicked to continue. VP of engineering asked "Do you have a degree?"..."yes sir"..."Good, now, what do you really know?". They are far more concerned with what I can do, than they are with what piece of paper is hanging on the wall..........sucks that it works that way, and it really shouldn't. There are far smarter and more capable folks out there than myself, that will get passed over because of that lack of paper.

I think that I will find myself in the same position as you. Right now I have crafted my resume to avoid the topic of formal education. I have removed "Associates in" and just left "Engineering" and the college. The rest of my resume is stuffed with real world experience and highlighted projects that overshadow the education part of the resume. Now the employers ask "When will you get your PE?" and I know it requires 10 years work experience to get it without the Bachelors... "I think in time that I will get it" haha

 

[2015 SX210]

Microbiologist in the pharmaceutical industry

 

[orexismd]

Emergency Medicine Physician/Dreamer- trying to break out of of living a life of quiet desperation!

 

[Newman]

...
<Post up what you do for a living....its amazing how many professions are represented here>

edit by admin

 

[Steve Risley]

Innovation Contract Mfg. Manager for a very large beverage company...I work on all of our new products that are produced at co-packers. Lots of products that never make it big time, but every now & then one becomes a winner.

 

[Dennis P]

Real Estate Broker with Remax since 1998

My two favorite summer pass times...and when the two intertwine.....PERFECT!

 

[Trannyguy]

I own a transmission and auto repair shop. Or should I say it kinda owns me. ?

 

[JetBoatPenguin]

Global Alliance Director for a large consulting company. "I'm like Match.com between several large companies." Work with a lot of "innovation concepts" - like feeding the mayonnaise directly to the tuna.

Fun Fact . . . I used to work for a non-Motor division of Yamaha early in my career. Hence the Yamaha boat sitting in the slip. That was in my professional musician days.

 

[biglar155]

... I have removed "Associates in" and just left "Engineering" and the college. ...

This isn't the worst idea in the world. Speaking from the Hiring Manager's side of the table, sometimes HR overlooks otherwise qualified candidates because the Engineering Manager listed a B.S. in Engineering as a "minimum requirement" (ya gotta put SOMETHING in the Position Profile or they won't even start the hiring process). If you can slip past that first filter on semantics, the Engineering Manager may want to take a look at you based on your experience level.

 

[cbpagent72]

Criminal investigator and computer forensic specialist with U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

 

[zipper]

Real Estate Broker with Remax since 1998

My two favorite summer pass times...and when the two intertwine.....PERFECT!View attachment 91702View attachment 91703

Dennis, Is that Tredwell Bay?

 

[Dennis P]

Dennis, Is that Tredwell Bay,?

Yes it is, across the lake from you