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New employees who join the company as construction managers head out to the job site with a mix of anxiety and excitement, while honestly not fully understanding what their job entails. Many of these new employees will likely face the gap between their expectations and reality. That was my experience, too.<\/p>\n
Listening to today\u2019s new hires talk, I found many similarities to the disconnect I felt when I was a new hire myself, and it filled me with a sense of nostalgia. So, in this post, I\u2019d like to share\u2014in a lighthearted way\u2014some of the common disconnects that first-year construction management new hires tend to experience.<\/p>\n
I imagine many people still hold the same perception they\u2019ve always had\u2014that \u201cconstruction workers are scary.\u201d When you go to a construction site, there are lots of people who look like trouble, and I remember that the night before I was assigned to a site, I was so anxious about getting yelled at by the workers that I couldn\u2019t sleep.<\/p>\n
However, once I was actually assigned to the department, those worries vanished in a single day. I clearly remember thinking to myself, \u201cWow, so many of the craftsmen are really nice people!!!\u201d<\/p>\n
I used to think that construction management involved nothing more than giving instructions to workers while holding blueprints and filling out paperwork, but when I actually went out to the job site, I remember being taken aback by how much mental effort the job required\u2014more than I had expected.<\/p>\n
In particular, the sheer volume of calculations and the frequent use of geometric concepts may feel like a significant gap for those who haven\u2019t studied architecture.<\/p>\n
I imagine there are many students who think, \u201cYou can get by in construction management just with your people skills, even if you don\u2019t have computer skills!\u201d I used to think that way, too. In fact, I\u2019ve even heard of people who chose construction management precisely because they weren\u2019t good with computers.<\/p>\n
However, as soon as you start working in construction management, you quickly realize that computer skills are essential. What\u2019s more, once you become a branch manager, you have to spend more than half your day staring at a computer screen.<\/p>\n
When I went out to the job site, technical jargon flew around every day. I thought I\u2019d studied a little before joining the company, but as a first-year employee, I had absolutely no idea what the terms meant\u2014it felt as if I\u2019d been transported to a foreign country.<\/p>\n
My boss would give me instructions using technical jargon, and I\u2019d carry out my tasks without really understanding them, just letting each day slip by. Looking at the blueprints was like trying to decipher a map of an ancient civilization\u2014they were completely indecipherable. I\u2019d think to myself, \u201cAre people who can read these blueprints crazy?\u201d (lol).<\/p>\n
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