Road to Hard Labor

The end of May, 2020 is vastly approaching, where I am going to be closing a big chapter. Shadow Ridge High School has been a key part of my life for the past four years. During this time, I have grown to realize that there are many different paths one pursues after high school. After thinking long and hard over the past year, I have decided to attend Northern Arizona University to study Construction Management.

Construction has been something that I have grown up with my entire life.

My Tata, (dad’s dad) was a roofer and my dad is a divisional manager for an underground utility company here in Phoenix Arizona. My dad has been a part of the construction industry for 25 plus years. He first started his journey as a laborer. Then he started to learn about the equipment in construction which then led him to becoming an operator. After many years of learning the odds and ends of the job he continued to be promoted.

His hard work, dedication, and knowledge today has earned him a position as a divisional manager. He runs approximately 200 plus employees along with several multi-million dollar jobs.

After this, I made my final decision to study construction management. I then started to dig deeper into the profession of construction myself. “A Construction management degree can allow you to construct the buildings of today and create the facilities of tomorrow. Whether you’re interested in building sports stadiums, skyscrapers, or state-of-the-art medical facilities, the Construction Management program at Northern Arizona University is designed to prepare you for an engaging, rewarding career after graduation.

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” (NAU.edu). This past sentence clearly caught my eye to attend Northern Arizona University. The NAU Website encouraged me to continue researching to see where the construction management degree could take me.

I’ve learned that construction is not just about the end result. There are many aspects that take place for a “job” to be completed and successful. Mr. Zen simplified the entire creation of construction into two aspects, Macro Sphere and Micro Sphere. Mr. Zen writes;

​​“The macro sphere of CM can generally cover all management related issues on the built environment across its life-cycle stages; for example, the industry wide statistics, analysis and projections on codes and standards, building information management, procurement and contracts, supply network, workforce productivity, and workplace health and safety, etc. at national, regional and/or international level. The micro sphere of CM, on the other hand, covers specific issues relating to project delivery at various work stages; for example, project specific study on feasibility, cost plan, design justification, process schedule, risk assessment, quality and traceability assurance, productivity analysis, post occupancy evaluation, and service level agreements, etc. The cross-stage process of CM makes it possible to conduct inter-connected professional services for clients to have maximum value from investment.”(Zen, C 2010).

Based on the article Zen, has written, I believe I am going to enjoy the micro sphere part of the job, more while indulging into the project. I personally like how Zen, mentions; the cross-stage process of CM makes it possible to conduct inter-connected professional services for clients to have maximum value from investment (Zen, 2010). This sticks out to me as the entire project holds many different aspects to complete the project successfully. It takes an office of driven team players to accomplish the needs of the client and produce their investment to the best of the companies’ ability. I believe that my athletic background will help this personality trait show. I also believe that everyone will have to do their part of the puzzle to complete the entire bigger picture.

With that being said, this is another reason why I believe construction management is something that I will enjoy studying and making a career out of. I have been a part of teams my entire life that have molded my work ethic, and overview on how teammates are key to success. Being an athlete my entire life, it has educated me on how different people play a role for the entire project’s success. I believe that is what Zen is trying to say as well.

After my 4 years at Northern Arizona University graduating with a Bachelors, I will mostly likely join a construction company here in the metropolitan phoenix area as a project engineer. This area would fall under Zen micro-sphere area mentioned above. The project engineer is one to “plan, design, develop and manage the construction project. They work alongside superintendents who oversee the project from planning to completion. The Project Engineer is responsible for the small daily tasks such as specifications, scheduling and running materials while communicating with other members of the team and the client” (Alfaro, ET AL, 2019). The Project Engineer will be able to understand and implement the entire project from start to hand off to the field. It is their job to make sure the field has everything they need to be successful. The Superintendent along with the Project Manager rely on the Project Engineer to accomplish many aspects of the job.

Working hard, showing dedication, and paying attention to detail will allow me to show whatever company I work for, that I have what it takes to be a Project Manager. At most construction companies, after you have understood and nailed the aspects of a Project Engineer, you then can be promoted to a Project Manager. In spite of advances in the project management profession, research studies have shown that many projects fail, underlining the importance of the project manager’s role as manager. Specifically, the manager’s leadership role is of great importance in motivating people and creating an effective working environment in order for the project team to meet greater challenges in today’s global economy ( Vittal, 2010). Vittal, made a strong stance that projects fail if they have bad Project Managers. I believe this a key aspect for success in the workforce. If my employees, IE- Superintendents, Field Crews, Project Engineers and vendors respect me, I will run a successful project from start to finish.

As I enter the industry and move up through the company I choose to work for, I know I will set a good foundation for not only me but my family. Northern Arizona University’s enrollment advisors along with their website, states different benefits that they believe are reasons to pursue the degree. They stated that there is a strong job outlook, and by the year 2022 this should grow by 16%. I know that during this time where the COVID-19 has shut down most of America, my dad’s company is considered an essential business and busier than ever, which has also been a good eye-opener on what jobs are staying strong during a time such as this. Competitive pay is another area they mention on why this degree is one to dive into. In May 2012, the average salary for Northern Arizona University graduates in their first job was $52,000 per year, and the median annual wage for construction managers was $82,790 (NAU, 2020). I understand that I will have to work hard to get to a Project Manager position making $80,000, but I am up for the challenge.

As one chapter closes and one chapter opens, I am excited to see what the future holds. I will miss the time and memories from Shadow Ridge High School, but I believe I am on the road to furthering success. Northern Arizona University and its construction management program will teach me everything that I need to know to be a successful team player to accomplish the project at hand. I understand that the road ahead is not going to be easy, or a “cake walk”. Watching my tata, dad and uncle work hard to be as successful they were/are for themselves and their families is well worth the fight. The morals and values that have been instilled in me throughout life will lead me to greatness.

Work Cited Page

1. Attallah, S., Alfaro , S., & Fairfield , R. (2019). Construction Project Engineer – Career Exploration. The CTE Journal, 7(2327-0160), 1–4. Retrieved from https://www.thectejournal.com/uploads/1/0/6/8/10686931/attallah_fall_2019.pdf
2. Construction management. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://nau.edu/construction-management/why-construction-management
3. Vittal S. Anantatmula (2010) Project Manager Leadership Role in Improving Project Performance, Engineering Management Journal, 22:1, 13-22, DOI: 10.1080/10429247.2010.11431849
4. Zhen, C. (2019). Grand Challenges in Construction Management. Frontiers in Built Environment, 5. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fbuil.2019.00031