Young Professionals Get Career Advice and a Glimpse of the Future
Members of AGC’s Future Leadership Forum gained career advice and a glimpse of the industry in the coming years during FLF’s Panel of Execs event cosponsored by the AGC Education Foundation.
With David Ashbaugh (Ashbaugh Beal) moderating industry leaders Nancy Munro (MidMountain Contractors); Tom Zamzow (Granite Construction); Scott Thomson (McKinstry Co.); and Gene Colin (Ferguson Construction) shared some of their career fortunes and misfortunes offered advice and discussed changes they see coming in the industry.
Here’s a sampling of some of their comments to the group of 40 project mana
gers project engineers and others from among the FLF group:
Scott: From my perspective everything is changing – the types of projects how they’re delivered how they’re operated and who you’re competing with are all going to completely change in the next five years. I believe you’re going to find national competitors coming into Seattle and firms from outside the country with prefabricated modularized ideas and they’ll deliver in our city and be successful at it. What’s allowing that to happen is the technology platforms the BIMs 3-D stuff that we’re really good at in the Northwest. But it will be the Trojan horse that will cause everything to change. You will be at the forefront of what that looks like and how successful your companies will be in that economic environment.
Nancy: All of our people in your positions are out there with the clients building relationships. That’s how clients see the company – through you. Every email every conversation you have with the client is a huge reflection on the company. You should think of yourself in that position. Your relationship with the client you can make it good or bad. It’s a small industry and people remember.
Tom: A big change in the future involves environmental regulations both the regulations and how we react to them. Environment is the new safety. Years ago you had to struggle to get guys to wear hard hats and vests. Now it’s just part of what we do and people understand why; as an industry we’ve gotten that message across to people. Environmental issues will be like that.
Gene: When th
e time comes that the economy kicks in again people are going to remember how you are now. So if you ever have the opportunity to shine shine now. If you ever have the opportunity to be seen be seen now. Nobody will influence the client more than you can. I’ve had clients be legitimately and visibly disappointed that a certain PM had moved on and wouldn’t be working on the client’s next project. That’s how you want your employers to see you as an integral part of the team.